Crowd hears progress on Waikanae River's restoration

Around 70 people gathered for the annual Waikanae River Walkover yesterday under sunny skies to recognise and discuss the varied work being done to protect and enhance our region's rivers.

Greater Wellington Regional Council organised the event which saw representatives from Friends of the Waikanae River, Kāpiti Coast District Council, local community boards, Department of Conservation, as well as local residents gather at Waimanu Lagoon on Thursday morning.

The group stopped in various places along the river to discuss topics such as Greater Wellington's Natural Resources Plan, river maintenance, track erosion, restoration works and new trail signage.

Greater Wellington's representative for the Kāpiti Coast, Councillor Penny Gaylor, says the day provided a great opportunity for various groups and individuals to share their thoughts and concerns about the future of the beloved river.

"Thanks to the efforts of Friends of the Waikanae River and other local volunteers, the river corridor continues to experience improved habitat restoration and recreational amenity.

"There is no way Greater Wellington could achieve all of this on our own. It says a lot about the community of Waikanae that so many people want to commit their time and energy to helping with environmental projects along the river."

Cr Gaylor says from a personal perspective, the walkover was a welcome opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the successes of the breadth of river projects.

"It was fantastic to be reminded of the important role Greater Wellington plays across the region in protecting and enhancing environmental biodiversity and how well we achieve this when we work with our communities."