Coordinates: 41°08′27″S 175°00′52″E / 41.140697°S 175.014535°E / -41.140697; 175.014535

Mawaihakona Stream

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Mawaihakona Stream
Stream with vegetation on banks
Mawaihakona Stream showing replanted banks
Location
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWellington
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationTrentham
Mouth 
 • location
Hutt River
 • coordinates
41°08′33″S 175°00′07″E / 41.142411°S 175.001955°E / -41.142411; 175.001955
 • elevation
40 m (130 ft)

The Mawaihakona Stream (also known as Māwai Hākona Stream) is a small watercourse in Upper Hutt, in the North Island of New Zealand. The stream begins at a spring in Trentham Memorial Park and drains the western side of the Hutt Valley from Trentham to Heretaunga. The stream passes around Heretaunga Park and the perimeter of the playing fields of St Patrick's College, Silverstream. It flows into the Hutt River north of the Silverstream bridge.[1][2]

Toponymy

The word Mawaihakona means "stream where water was scooped out".[3] The name was formerly used for a township settlement near Trentham railway station.[4]

Environmental restoration

An environmental restoration project for the lower reaches of the stream began in 2002. The two founders of the project were Bart Hogan and Graeme Bennett. At that time, the banks of the stream were infested with invasive species including gorse, broom, blackberry, crack willow, acacia, alder and poplar. The purpose of the project was to remove weed species and revegetate the stream including planting lowland podocarp species that were present in the area prior to settlement. The restoration project included removal of invasive species from the banks and the bed of the stream, and planting the banks with native species. The planting has included forest canopy tree species such as rimu, totara, matai and kahikatea. Pathways, bridges and seats were built to provide walkways through the planted areas. The work has been carried out mostly by volunteers, with support from the students of the nearby St Patrick's College, Silverstream. The native plants have been raised by the group or funded through donations. The group Friends of the Mawaihakona Stream became a registered charity in 2014.[1][5][6] By 2020, over 10,000 trees had been planted.[7]

The stream bed has been infested with the invasive cape pond weed. Control of this weed is a priority for the restoration, and requires roots and bulbs to be removed by hand.[8]

During the removal of willow from the stream, an 18-metre-long (59 ft) totara log was discovered. This was used to create large marker posts (pou rāhui) at each end of the replanted section of the stream signifying that the planted area has a rāhui or protected status.[6]

In 2020, a proposed major land development was announced for land immediately adjacent to the restored stream banks. The land is a flood plain of the Hutt River. To allow building on the site, the proposal was to raise the level of the land by 3 m (9.8 ft), requiring the placement of 550,000 m3 (19,000,000 cu ft) of fill, in a project that would take 5 years. The proposal could involve reducing the protected reserve margins of the stream from 20 m (66 ft) to only 12 m (39 ft), and this would eliminate around half of the planted area.[7]

Australasian shoveler (male) in the Mawaihakona Stream

In August 2023, the Friends of the Mawaihakona Stream received the Supreme Award and the Heritage and Environment Award in the 2023 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards - Upper Hutt.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Māwai Hakona - a place that makes us want to learn". Enviroschools. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Mawaihakona Stream". NZ Topomap. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Mawaihakona Stream". New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Crown Lands Sale". Hutt Valley Independent. 9 February 1911 – via Papers Past.
  5. ^ "A message from the Friends of the Mawaihakona Stream". The Upper Hutt Connection. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Friends of the Mawaihakona Stream". Trees That Count. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b Tso, Matthew (14 August 2020). "Massive proposed earthworks sparks concern for environmental restoration". Stuff. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Friends of Mawaihakona Stream – Update: 28th of September, 2023". The Upper Hutt Connection. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Friends of the Mawaihakona Stream Upper Hutt winners". Wellington Airport. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
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41°08′27″S 175°00′52″E / 41.140697°S 175.014535°E / -41.140697; 175.014535

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