Awa ki te Moana
Community-Led Coastal Restoration Project
Contents
Project Description
This project will establish a coordinated, community‑led coastal marine, beach, estuarine, and stream ecosystem restoration initiative across the Takarunga–Hauraki Peninsula. It will harness the groundswell of interest in the community to improve the health of our awa and moana. The first year of the initiative will fund a role for a new project lead coordinator. They will be tasked with collaboratively creating a management plan, expanding on existing projects and liaising with stakeholders.
The proposed restoration initiative is urgent as the Takarunga–Hauraki Peninsula is surrounded by a remarkably diverse and precious coastal environment, which is under threat. Delicate ecosystems involve: rocky shores and rock pools, sandy beaches, remnant dune systems, mangrove forests, chenier plains, salt marshes, tidal mudflats, seagrass beds, near‑shore marine reefs and remnant kelp forests. These ecosystems and their associated taonga species are regionally significant and deeply interconnected with the wider Tīkapa Moana o Hauraki and Waitematā Harbour, both ecologically and culturally. Despite their significance, these environments face cumulative pressures. This includes pressures from sedimentation, stormwater pollution, declining water quality, overfishing, habitat degradation, urban intensification, vessel traffic, and climate‑related stressors. The impacts of these pressures are now highly visible to residents and coastal users, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated, place‑based restoration.
This proposed initiative strongly aligns with existing workstreams in the Restoring Takarunga Hauraki Charitable Trust (RTH). We currently connect people with place through initiatives that involve restoring native plants and wildlife, eradicating animal and plant pests, eco literacy education, and ecosystem restoration along numerous streams and freshwater wetlands (e.g. pest plant control, native tree planting and monitoring). We use mātauranga Māori and maramataka to embed Te Ao Māori values in all that we do and have long‑standing relationships and ongoing partnerships with mana whenua iwi leaders.
Our work programme currently harnesses the energy and expertise of approximately 500 volunteers and 11,000 volunteer hours annually. Importantly, we have secured the commitment of a generous local private donor who is willing to contribute funding to help establish this initiative. This donor has a long‑standing relationship with RTH and has already contributed funding through Auckland Foundation to support education and management planning for manawa / mangrove ecosystems in Oneoneroa (Shoal) and Nga u‑te‑ringaringa Bays. This co‑investment strengthens programme delivery, enhances value for public funding, and demonstrates strong local confidence in the initiative’s vision and leadership.
Overall, the proposed initiative is supported by private funding, our well-established iwi and professional networks and proven capacity to coordinate volunteers. It strengthens our existing work through ecological connectivity, which extends from the shoreline inward and from catchments outward.
Our Precious Peninsula
How the Need Was Determined
We have observed strong and rapidly growing community concern about the visible decline of the Waitematā Harbour, our freshwater and coastal ecosystem and wildlife. Over the past year, RTH has seen an increasing need for guidance, information, and opportunities to act meaningfully. This has been expressed by residents, schools, mana whenua, ocean swimmers, coastal recreation groups, and local clubs.
Community members are reporting specific declines in relation to: water clarity, the loss of seagrass and kelp, reductions in marine species, degraded stream health, stormwater pollution events (including incidents leading to the death of tuna/eel populations), and damage to coastal habitats from sedimentation and human pressures. These issues are now raised consistently at our community hui, public events and moana/awa-related workshops.
Urban intensification, high stormwater loads, a busy shipping channel, historical and ongoing overfishing, and a large local population all place a strain on these ecosystems. People are increasingly asking for coordinated leadership, accessible education, and structured, science informed opportunities to participate in ecological care.
Importantly, we are aware of Mana Whenua calls for protection and restoration of Tikapa Moana o Hauraki and Waitematā and will seek to understand the aspirations and plans of the various iwi of this area, including Ngāi Tai kī Tāmaki, Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and Te Kawerau ā maki.
Additionally, given the community’s high interest in the health of our awa and moana, there is an opportunity for projects such as growing seagrass and kelp. Our native plant nursery at RTH is Plant Pass Certified, and our innovative volunteers have expressed a strong interest in establishing an underwater nursery. This could contribute to healthy reef restoration, stabilising sediments, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing carbon sequestration.
This proposed initiative directly responds to the needs expressed by the community and potential volunteer contributors. They seek pathways for practical involvement, improved ecological knowledge, and local stewardship grounded in both mātauranga Māori and ecological/wildlife science. Their interest represents a groundswell of powerful advocacy that, if harnessed, will lead to tangible improvements in our surrounding ecosystems.
What We Need Funding For
We require funding to hire a coordinator to work with the RTH staff, volunteers, partnered Māori, and collaborating professionals to establish and deliver a coordinated coastal saltwater, shoreline and freshwater and ecosystem restoration programme associated with the Takarunga–Hauraki Peninsula, including:
- Community education and engagement activities, such as workshops, guided coastal ecology walks, citizen science training sessions, and school programmes.
- Community coordination and project management, enabling consistent engagement with residents, mana whenua, schools, and partner organisations.
- Baseline ecological assessments and monitoring, including water quality testing, ecosystem mapping in near-shore marine, freshwater and estuarine coastal zones, biodiversity surveys, and identification of restoration priorities.
- Hands-on restoration activities, such as stream margin planting, dune restoration, mangrove education and monitoring, intertidal monitoring, seagrass and kelp awareness initiatives, sediment reduction actions, shorebird and seabird habitat projects, and coastal margin pest control.
- Materials and equipment, including monitoring kits, field gear, restoration tools, signage, and educational resources.
This funding will allow us to launch, coordinate, and sustain a high-quality, community-led restoration programme with measurable ecological and social outcomes.
What We Have Done So Far
To date, we have:
- Held community hui, surveys, and coastal-focused workshops to capture local concern and identify priority freshwater and coastal issues.
- Engaged with mana whenua to understand cultural values, ecological aspirations, and opportunities to align activities with tikanga and mātauranga Māori.
- Supported school and community groups to participate in biodiversity activities, including coastal clean-ups, ecological education sessions, and introductory monitoring.
- Responded to multiple pollution incidents by liaising with residents, reporting concerns to relevant authorities, and providing guidance on ecological impacts (including stormwater events affecting tuna populations).
- Formed partnerships and working relationships with local recreational groups, environmental organisations, and residents keen to contribute.
- Strengthened volunteer capability through training, outreach, and informal monitoring with eco-corridor, nursery and pest-trapping volunteer teams.
- Advocating for the extension of a Te Raki Paewhenua (North Shore Auckland) Rahui protecting shellfish in the tidal zone of the Takarunga Hauraki Peninsula.
- Begun construction of an education centre at Ngau-te-ringaringa Community Nursery.
- Established pest trapping lines along coastal areas to develop a halo protecting nest shorebirds (similar efforts could be extended more thoroughly on difficult, steep cliff areas that are crucial for nest seabirds and fortifying defences of predator-free Rangitoto wildlife sanctuary.
- Planted 10, 000 natives in water catchment areas around the peninsula.
These actions demonstrate strong community interest, existing delivery capability, and a clear foundation for scaling up the proposed programme.
Objectives & Measures
Objectives | Measures |
Integrate mātauranga Māori and mana whenua leadership | Co-developed activities and protocols, joint events incorporating tikanga and kaitiakitanga practices, and evidence of ongoing guidance from mana whenua. |
Community organising and leadership development | Number of participants engaged, volunteer hours contributed, number of active volunteers and emerging community leaders. |
Citizen science and species monitoring | Number of monitoring sessions delivered; datasets collected (water quality, species counts); repeat monitoring at priority sites. |
Ecosystem inventory and opportunity assessment | Completion of baseline habitat maps and site assessments across freshwater, estuarine, beach, rocky shore, and near-shore marine environments. |
Species and ecosystem restoration planning | Prioritised restoration plans developed; sites identified for intervention; actions aligned with monitoring data and community input. |
Hands-on restoration and stewardship | Area restored or enhanced (e.g. riparian planting, dunes stabilised); number of restoration events delivered. |
Education and ecological literacy | Workshop attendance; school participation; feedback indicating increased knowledge and confidence. |
Increase local action and advocacy | Increased public reporting of ecological and conservation issues, participation in planning processes, and uptake of citizen science roles or coastal ecosystems, wildlife, and overall health of the Waitematā and Tīkapa Moana o Hauraki. |
Strategy Overview
Phase 1
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Set‑up & Partnership HuiMonths 1 – 3
Hire/onboard project lead coordinator; confirm governance, H&S, and establish a communications plan.
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Mana whenua engagement: hui to confirm aspirations, kaitiakitanga practices (tikanga, karakia, cultural indicators), and co‑design touchpoints.
Community & partner alignment: schedule training with schools, clubs, and regional partners (Sir Peter Blake MERC, EMR/Mountains to Sea, DOC, Yachting NZ RŪNĀ Programme).
Site selection & calendar: confirm priority stream mouths, estuarine edges, dune/rocky shore sites (incl. Shoal Bay shell‑barrier BFA and SEA‑Marine 1/2 areas).
Phase 2
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Baselines & TrainingMonths 2 – 6
Citizen‑science setup: run introductory training sessions; issue monitoring kits (water‑quality, shorebird counts, intertidal transects, photo‑points).
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Baseline surveys: water quality (quarterly), biodiversity (intertidal, shorebirds), habitat maps (freshwater → near‑shore).
School & whānau engagement: guided coastal ecology walks; class modules on seagrass/ kelp awareness and sediment pathways.
Phase 3
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Finalise Management Plan. Early Restoration & Pressure ReductionMonths 4 – 9
Hands‑on restoration: riparian planting; dune fencing/planting; intertidal monitoring days; coastal margin pest control; mangrove education & monitoring (not removal); shorebird seasonal protections and signage.
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190‑property outreach (Shoal Bay BFA): coordinator engages landowners on pest plant/ animal control, pet management, stormwater/sediment good practice; link to council services where relevant.
Volunteer leadership: identify and support emerging site leads; set up monthly “monitor & mahi” days.
Phase 4
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Review, Report & Scale for Year‑2Months 9 –1 2
Repeat monitoring: seasonal biodiversity repeats; quarter‑two water quality repeat; update habitat maps where change occurs.
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Establish a steering group: identify a small team of volunteers to help the staff team further develop a vision of community-led ecosystem restoration from these ecosystems and set priorities for the workstream.
Evaluate & report: compile Year‑1 ecological summary + community metrics; share with mana whenua, partners, and community.
Year‑2 co‑design: refine priorities with data and hui feedback; plan expanded pest‑free peninsula actions and near‑shore marine modules.
Management Plan Development
RTH will develop a management plan through a staged, collaborative process that draws on existing knowledge, community capability, and kaupapa Māori leadership. This project relies on strong collaboration with local communities and organisations already active in the moana space, ensuring alignment with existing expertise, initiatives, and stewardship efforts.
The first step will be to identify and collate existing information, including available maps, ecological studies, monitoring data, and relevant management plans from council, mana whenua, community groups, and previous restoration projects. This work will be supported, where possible, by university interns, students, and trained volunteers, helping to build local capacity while efficiently synthesising existing knowledge.
→ ecological audit.
→ ecological audit.
Using this baseline information, RTH will begin to identify key opportunities to protect wildlife and restore ecosystems, with a strong focus on ecological connectivity across freshwater, estuarine, coastal, and adjacent terrestrial environments. This will include identifying priority habitats, pressures, and intervention points where restoration and protection efforts can have the greatest impact.
Management priorities and actions will then be developed iteratively alongside an emerging leadership team, including a small steering group / kaimahi of committed volunteers, supported by kaumātua, tikanga leads, and technical advisors where appropriate. This group will help shape the vision, confirm priorities, and guide decision‑making to ensure the plan is locally grounded, achievable, and aligned with mana whenua values and community aspirations. This process will result in a practical, living management plan that supports coordinated action, strengthens community ownership, and provides a clear framework for long‑term restoration, monitoring, and adaptive management.
Collaboration
Collaboration is central to the delivery of this project, which is designed as a networked, community‑led initiative working across education, restoration, recreation, research, and Mana Whenua partnerships.
RTH works to build respectful, ongoing relationships with mana whenua as central to all the work we accomplish. For this project, we will engage with iwi partners, including Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, Te Kawerau ā Maki, and Marutūāhu collective – Hauraki iwi (Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Whanaunga) to ensure the project aligns with iwi aspirations, supports kaitiakitanga, and incorporates mātauranga Māori where appropriate. Partnerships will be supported through regular hui, co‑designed activities, shared training and monitoring events, information sharing, and clear roles aligned to each partner’s strengths. This collaborative approach avoids duplication, builds local capability, and ensures the project delivers meaningful ecological and community outcomes.
We have close, long‑standing relationships with all local schools, public kindergartens, kōhanga reo, and playcentres (15 in total), as well as youth groups and clubs across the peninsula. We will work with these partners to deliver education programmes, citizen‑science activities, and hands‑on restoration, building ecological literacy and stewardship from early childhood through to rangatahi.
We work closely with our Local Board, two marae, three community centres, three arts centres, sports and service clubs, community repair workshops, resource recovery centres, local marinas, and local businesses. These relationships support community engagement, event delivery, volunteer coordination, and access to sites and facilities. Marine user groups, including Wakatere Boating Club and Devonport Yacht Club, will support stewardship, monitoring, and advocacy for the protection and restoration of the coastal and near‑shore environment alongside RTH and Yachting NZ.
RTH staff and volunteer leaders have established working relationships with regional and national organisations, including Mountains to Sea (Experiencing Marine Reserves and Whitebait Connections), Pupuke Bird Song, Te Kohuroa Rewilding, Revive Our Gulf, Heal the Hauraki, Young Ocean Explorers, Live Ocean Foundation, and the Moanamana Project. These partners will contribute technical guidance, education resources, mentoring, and opportunities to align local action with regional restoration priorities.
We collaborate with Auckland Council Biodiversity Services and Community Parks, the Department of Conservation, the Tūpuna Maunga Authority, and Sustainability and Environmental Science staff at the University of Auckland to ensure best‑practice ecological methods, access to scientific expertise, and alignment with regional strategies and monitoring frameworks.
We will also work with Te Moanaui o Toi Restoration Trust – Port of Auckland to support harbour‑scale restoration awareness and engagement.
Auckland Council Priorities Alignment
Conserve regionally significant ecosystems or species
This project focuses on protecting and restoring vulnerable freshwater, estuarine, coastal, and near‑shore marine ecosystems within the Takarunga–Hauraki Peninsula, with a particular emphasis on the Shoal Bay Shell‑barrier Beach Biodiversity Focus Area (BFA) and associated estuarine and coastal systems, alongside SEA‑Marine 1 sandy and rocky shore habitats extending from south of Takapuna Beach to Maungaūika. Over time, the beach ecosystems could be restored and protected to encourage the return of wildlife such as kōrora (little blue penguin), and additional crustacean and mollusc species.
Shell‑barrier beaches are globally rare coastal landforms, composed of shell fragments and coarse sands shaped by longshore drift and wash processes. Within the Waitematā Harbour, sites of particular relevance to this project include Shoal Bay (Jutland Road and Eversleigh Road shell‑barrier beaches) and Ngātaringa Bay (Norwood Road shell‑barrier spit).
Shoal Bay is designated a Site of Special Wildlife Interest (SSWI) by the Department of Conservation and a Biodiversity Focus Area (BFA) by Auckland Council due to its rarity and the diversity of species it supports. The tidal estuary, shell‑barrier beaches, intertidal mudflats, sandbars, and saltmarsh provide critical feeding and roosting habitat for at least 12 endangered or at‑risk coastal bird species, including tūturiwhatu (NZ dotterel), banded dotterel, matuku moana (reef heron), taranui (Caspian tern), and ngutu pare (wrybill), as well as many other resident and migratory shorebirds such as kōtare, tōrea pango, matuku, and poaka.
RTH has developed this proposal to protect the Shoal Bay shell‑barrier ecosystem from invasive pest plants and animals and to reduce cumulative pressures originating from the surrounding urban catchment.
Accessibility and reach: These sites are highly accessible to the substantial population of the Takarunga-Hauraki Peninsula and are within minutes of the Auckland CBD, making them ideal for education, volunteer engagement, and day‑trip eco‑tourism. This proximity enables frequent participation by local residents and schools, low‑carbon public‑transport access for city‑based volunteers, and curated experiences for regional visitors, amplifying learning, stewardship, and regional impact.
With a focus on these coastal marine, beach and estuary ecosystems, alongside the connected streams, we can develop citizen‑science monitoring and education that will leverage other aspects of RTH programs such as coordinated pest control, landowner engagement, coastal fringe ecosystem protection and restoration. In turn, this project will improve water quality, protect high‑value coastal habitats, and support threatened species, delivering outcomes aligned with regional conservation priorities for the Waitematā Harbour and Tīkapa Moana o Hauraki.
Enhance community involvement
This project is explicitly community‑led, designed to grow long‑term stewardship rather than deliver one‑off activities. It engages residents, schools, mana whenua, marine users, and local organisations in hands‑on restoration, citizen science, and education, enabling people to actively care for the freshwater, estuarine, beach, and near‑shore marine environments that surround them. Community involvement will be strengthened through: Structured volunteer pathways, including training, mentoring, and leadership development for emerging community leaders. Accessible education and participation opportunities, such as workshops, guided coastal ecology walks, school programmes, and monitoring days. Strong local partnerships with schools, early‑learning centres, clubs, marinas, recreation groups, and community organisations to embed restoration in everyday community life. Coordinated engagement, supported by a dedicated coordinator, to ensure consistent communication, inclusive participation, and alignment across groups. By building skills, confidence, and shared responsibility, the project increases conservation capacity across the peninsula, fosters intergenerational learning, and creates a durable network of volunteers and partners committed to the long‑term health of the whenua and moana.
Enable meaningful Māori engagement and outcomes
RTH embeds meaningful Māori engagement through kaupapa Māori leadership, strong mana whenua partnerships, whānau‑centred participation, and intergenerational leadership development that delivers tangible cultural, environmental, and social outcomes.
Māori engagement within RTH is led and anchored by Kaumātua Danny Watson, whose guidance ensures that tikanga, mātauranga Māori, and manaakitanga inform project design, delivery, and relationships. His leadership provides cultural authority, continuity, and accountability, ensuring RTH’s work aligns with mana whenua values and aspirations and supports the exercise of Māori rangatiratanga in environmental restoration.
This leadership is strengthened by Zane Catterall, RTH Tikanga and Kaupapa Māori Lead, who works alongside kaumātua, whānau, rangatahi, and partner organisations to embed tikanga Māori across all RTH activities. Zane plays a key role in ensuring tikanga is lived in practice — from the way planting days and wānanga are held, to how volunteers are welcomed, supported, and connected to place. His work has been instrumental in building trust, participation, and sustained Māori involvement across RTH programmes.
RTH actively works with whānau Māori at Te Hau Kapua Kōhanga Reo and the Takapuna Grammar School Tū Tangata group, supporting tamariki and rangatahi to engage with whenua through hands‑on restoration, cultural learning, and relationship‑building with kaumātua and community leaders. These engagements strengthen cultural identity, environmental kaitiakitanga, and pathways for lifelong involvement in restoration and leadership.
As a result of this kaupapa‑led approach, RTH already has many Māori from diverse backgrounds participating as regular volunteers across our eco‑corridor restoration and native plant nursery teams. Māori involvement is not episodic or symbolic, but ongoing and embedded in the day‑to‑day work of restoration — contributing skills, leadership, and cultural knowledge while strengthening community ownership of outcomes.
RTH prioritises working partnerships with Māori‑led and mana whenua‑connected organisations, including collaboration with Pourewa Hub, which provides a vital connection point between ecological restoration, cultural reconnection, and Māori community and economic development. These partnerships ensure restoration is place‑based, whakapapa‑c onnected, and aligned with kaupapa Māori aspirations.
RTH also works in a complementary relationship with Ngā Tai Restoration projects on Motutapu, supporting shared learning, coordination of restoration approaches, and reciprocal exchange of mātauranga Māori and ecological practice across the Tīkapa Moana / Hauraki Gulf context.
A key focus for RTH is supporting rangatahi leadership and succession. RTH is actively involved in and supports the Auckland Council leadership development programme with mana whenua rangatahi, providing real‑world restoration contexts where rangatahi can apply leadership skills, deepen cultural confidence, and engage directly with whenua, kaumātua, and community. This contributes to both rangatahi capability development and the Auckland Council’s wider commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori outcomes. Together, these approaches ensure Māori engagement within RTH is long‑term, authentic, and outcome‑focused.
Regional impact
Kaitiakitanga ki te Moana me te Awa Community‑Led Coastal Marine, Estuarine and Freshwater Ecosystem Restoration Initiative
The Kaitiakitanga ki te Moana me te Awa initiative will deliver regionally significant ecological, cultural, and social outcomes by restoring connected freshwater, estuarine, and coastal marine ecosystems across the Takarunga–Hauraki Peninsula, contributing directly to the health and resilience of the Waitematā Harbour and Tīkapa Moana o Hauraki.
The peninsula is surrounded by a remarkably diverse and ecologically significant coastal environment, including the Shoal Bay Shell Barrier (a recognised biological focus area), rocky shores and pools, sandy beaches, remnant dunes, estuarine mangrove forests, tidal mudflats, seagrass beds, salt marshes, and near‑shore marine reefs and remnant kelp forests. These environments support important taonga species and are deeply interconnected with wider regional marine systems through sediment flows, nutrient cycling, species movement, and cultural relationships.
However, these ecosystems are under increasing cumulative pressure from sedimentation, stormwater contamination, declining water quality, habitat degradation, overfishing, urban intensification, vessel traffic, and climate‑related stressors such as marine heatwaves and more intense rainfall events. These impacts are now highly visible to local communities and signal an urgent need for coordinated place‑based action.
This initiative responds by establishing a coherent, community‑led restoration framework that reconnects awa ki te moana — freshwater catchments through to estuaries and coastal marine environments. By integrating riparian and wetland restoration, coastal habitat protection, pest control along coastal cliffs, citizen science, and ecological monitoring, the project will reduce land‑based pressures on marine systems while improving habitat quality for coastal and seabird species.
At a regional scale, the initiative will:
Improve water quality entering the Waitematā Harbour, reducing sediment and contaminant loads from urban catchments. Strengthen ecological connectivity between freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats, supporting species resilience in the face of climate change.
Contribute to seagrass, shellfish, reef, and near‑shore ecosystem recovery, supporting broader fisheries and biodiversity outcomes. Demonstrate a replicable model for integrated urban‑coastal restoration that can inform similar initiatives across the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana.
Equally important are the social and cultural impacts. This initiative is grounded in kaitiakitanga, supporting mana whenua priorities and reconnecting people with place through hands‑on restoration, mātauranga Māori, and shared stewardship. By mobilising residents, volunteers, schools, whānau, and rangatahi, the project reweaves community relationships with the moana and awa, fostering long‑term behavioural change and care for coastal ecosystems.
RTH brings proven capability to deliver this regional impact. RTH has established strong, long‑standing relationships with mana whenua iwi leaders and works in active partnership with government and non‑government organisations. RTH is currently delivering multiple wetland and riparian restoration projects across the peninsula and has demonstrated the ability to coordinate volunteers, land managers, technical experts, and community groups to achieve measurable ecological outcomes.
The initiative is further strengthened by secured private co‑investment, with a generous donor committed to matching public funding. This funding model increases value for money, enables delivery at scale, and signals strong community confidence in the initiative’s vision and leadership.
In the context of the accelerating climate and ecological crisis, Kaitiakitanga ki te Moana me te Awa initiative seeks to recognise that the best time to restore ecosystems, communities, and “hearts and minds” is now. Early action reduces future costs, builds ecological resilience, and creates hope and momentum at a time when many communities feel disconnected from nature and uncertain about the future, although also wanting to contribute to something positive.
By protecting nature, building a shared vision for flourishing ecosystems and wildlife across the Waitematā and Tīkapa Moana, and laying foundations for nature‑based recreation and eco‑tourism, this initiative delivers enduring regional benefits — ecological, cultural, and economic — for Auckland and the wider Hauraki Gulf.
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