New wetland for popular Te Puke park

Te Puke’s Lawrence Oliver Park is getting an upgrade, thanks to the development of a new treatment wetland.

This project is a joint venture between Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway Society.

Located on the edge of the Te Puke township, nearly 3,000m2 of Lawrence Oliver Park will be returned to wetland, with three open water ponds. This restoration work was an outcome of Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Reserve Management Plan, which was adopted in 2022.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Principal Advisor Jackson Efford, who is overseeing the project on Regional Council’s behalf, says the project will bring a range of environmental benefits to the area.

“Wetlands are incredibly important ecosystems. Because of where this one is located, it will help reduce contaminants from residential and industrial stormwater runoff, help with flood storage and retention, and provide an opportunity for native plants and birds to thrive.

“It will also be a great place to stop for Te Ara Kahikatea walkway users.”

On top of the environmental benefits, this project is also helping restore the historical features of the area to honour its unique cultural values: This wetland is adjacent to the pā site Te Aore, which was a camp for forces during battle at Te Tumu.

“The Kaituna plains were historically all in wetlands, so it’s good to be part of a restoration process,” says Mr Efford.

“We’ve also had some pretty incredible finds. During excavation, old kahikatea trees were found buried in the peaty wetland soil. One buried tree was radiocarbon dated and found to be more than 3,900 years old!”

While the project has been led by the two council’s and Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway Society, the community has been right alongside them. Te Kapu o Waitaha iwi recently hosted a two-day planting event with students from the Fruition horticultural course, which saw 3,750 wetland sedges planted.

This project was made possible thanks to funding and support from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, TECT, Fonterra, Te Maru o Kaituna, Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway Society, Tapuika, and Te Kapu o Waitaha.