More than 1100 native plants were added to the Harbour’s edge this week.
Council staff headed for the harbour this week to show Te Awarua-o-Porirua some aroha with a morning of planting and litter collection.
Focused on the part of the harbour behind Pak’nSave, Get Fixed, Pirate’s Cove and running along Wi Neera Dr, crews split into two groups – either planting native riparian plants on the harbour’s edge or picking up litter while the harbour was at low tide.
Those on planting duties managed to get more than 1100 plants in the ground, adding to the 100,000 planted across the city during the 2023 planting season.
Meanwhile, a variety of items of all shapes and sizes were retrieved by the litter collectors, from small polystyrene balls and plastic pegs, to much bigger things like an entire wheelie bin, a large stuffed lion toy, a mountain bike, and a single crutch.
Several hundred kilograms of rubbish was collected in bags and removed, leaving the precious harbour in a better state than before the work began. Staff also pulled 15 trolleys, 15 road cones and 14 tyres out of the harbour.
As part of the work, one team carried out a litter audit. This involved collecting litter from a defined area, sorting it into different categories, then counting the bits of litter in each category, weighing it and noting the results. This data will be added to a national database and provides valuable insight into the sources of litter.
The event was one of many activities carried out by the Council as part of its commitment to the health of Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and its catchment through investment, advocacy and regulation.
28 Aug 2023
