Wairarapa Moana Wetlands
Wairarapa Moana Wetlands | |
---|---|
Wellington Regional Council | |
Open | 24 hours |
Status | Open |
Website | waiwetlands |
The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands are a major wetland, located in the South Wairarapa District in the Wellington Region at the southern end of New Zealand's North Island.[1]
The wetland is the largest in the lower North Island,[2] one of the largest in New Zealand,[3] and was recognised as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention in August 2020.[4] It covers 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres),[1] and includes Lake Wairarapa, which covers 7,800 hectares (19,000 acres).[5]
The wetland is a administered by
Geography
The area has a range of wetlands, including
In the lake and wetlands, there are populations of
The area is a habitat for a range of birds, including
History
Pre-European history
The name Wairarapa means "glistening waters" in
The wetlands became an important place to gather food and plant material.[7] The area became known for its abundance of tuna (eel), as well as plentiful inanga (whitebait) and kōkopu (freshwater fish).[8]
During the early 19th century,
European settlement
The first European sighting of the wetlands was by James Cook in 1777. Georg Forster, a naturalist on Cook's ship, said it was the "“most convenient spot for European settlement", with extensive land suitable for cultivation.[9]
European farmers established sheep and cattle stations in the wetlands in 1844, including the first extensive sheep station in New Zealand. Many early farmers struggled with mosquitoes and floods, and relied on purchasing food from their Māori landlords.[9]
In 1872, farmers petitioned the Government to purchase the wetlands and control the summer and autumn floods. The wetland's Māori owners wanted the high waters to continue, to allow for a harvest of the highly prized taonga of eels. The Government rejected the campaign, and in 1882 the Native Land Court confirmed Māori ownership of the area.[9]
From 1886, farmers under police escort began opening the outlet to stop seasonal flooding. They continued do so after an 1891 Royal Commission of Enquiry confirmed Māori ownership, and after Piripi Te Maari and other local Māori began peacefully protesting the opening in 1892. The dispute was not resolved until local Māori gifted the lake and wetland to the Government in 1896. In return, Māori retained rights over the water and fisheries, and were promised a lakeside reserve they never received.[9]
During the early 20th century, there were ongoing disputes between farmers about how to dam and flood properties.[9] After major floods in June 1947, authorities began to extensively drain the wetlands.[10]
Initial restoration
Plans to drain Lake Wairarapa were abandoned in 1989. A National Water Conservation Order, issued in 1989, recognised minimum water levels should be maintained to protect native habitats and wildlife. An oversight committee was established which recognised the wetland's spiritual and cultural significance to Māori people.[10][11]
Several further steps were taken to protect the wetland, including the establishment of legal protections under the
Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Project
The current coordinated wetland restoration project began in 2008.[10] The project aims to restore the wetland, which has been heavily polluted with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus and has been facing erosion and sedimentation.[12]
The Government announced $3.5 million in funding towards wetland restoration in July 2020.[13][12] Wellington Regional Council contributed $1 million,[14] and the Department of Conservation an additional $450,000.[15]
Almost 13,000 plants were planted in winter 2020, but many did not survive in the dry and exposed conditions.[16]
Wairarapa Moana was recognised as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention in August 2020.[4] It was the seventh New Zealand wetland to receive the recognition.[17]
Restorative plantings were damaged or uprooted in September 2020.[18]
An open day was held in the park in March 2021.[19][20]
Predator control
In 2023, the Greater Wellington Regional Council reported that since the installation of a network of predator traps in 2013, they had removed hundreds of ferrets, feral cats and mice, and thousands of hedgehogs and rats. Control of these predators has been linked to increasing populations of the nationally critical Australasian bittern or matuku hūrepo.[21]
Recreation
The Wairarapa Moana Wetlands has walking tracks, there are cycling routes around the lake, and there are several spots for
The park can be accessed via a road from Featherston and is open 24 hours a day.[1]
Dogs are permitted, but must be kept under control and away from bird nesting areas. Fireworks are not permitted.[1]
References
- ^ Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ "Wairarapa Moana Wetlands". doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation.
- ^ "Friends of Onoke Spit call for extra manpower in conservation". Wairarapa Times-Age. 9 June 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.
- ^ Dominion Post.
- ^ Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ a b "Lake Wairarapa & Wairarapa Moana". wairarapanz.com. Destination Wairarapa.
- ^ Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ Wellington Regional Council.
- ^ Wellington Regional Council.
- OCLC 38890560.
- ^ Radio Waatea. 1 February 2021.
- ^ "World Wetlands Day – $3.5 million boost in funding ramping up wetland restoration in the Wairarapa". New Zealand Government. Ministry for the Environment. April 2021.
- Dominion Post.
- ^ "Saving Wairarapa Moana Wetlands". New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects. Landscape Architecture Aotearoa. 23 February 2021.
- Dominion Post.
- South Wairarapa District Council. 25 August 2020.
- ^ "World-renowned Wairarapa wetlands project damaged". Radio New Zealand. RNZ News. 29 September 2020.
- Wellington Regional Council. 12 March 2021.
- ^ "Wairarapa Moana celebrated". Wairarapa Times-Age. 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Boom Of Rare Native Birds In Wairarapa Moana". www.scoop.co.nz. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- Wellington Regional Council.