Porirua residents can now track environmental restoration efforts around Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour through a new online dashboard launched as part of a major streamside planting initiative.
The Riparian Management Programme, a five-year project that began in 2021, aims to plant 630,000 native plants across the harbour catchment to reduce erosion and improve water quality. The initiative is a collaboration between Porirua City Council, the Ministry for the Environment, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, regional councils, landowners, and community groups.
“This is about more than planting trees,” said Julian Emeny, Porirua City Council’s Parks Manager. “We’re restoring the mauri of our streams and harbour — improving water quality, stabilising erosion-prone land, and creating habitats where native wildlife can thrive. The dashboard lets people see this progress almost in real time.”
Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour has suffered decades of environmental decline due to urban growth, land use changes, and pollution. The programme’s restoration strategy includes native replanting, weed control, and fencing off waterways from livestock, with support from the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
The interactive dashboard uses ArcGIS mapping to show live updates on plant numbers, fencing lengths, and restoration progress across various sub-catchments. It also supports Porirua’s broader goals under Te Wai Ora o Parirua — The Porirua Harbour Accord — by involving schools and volunteers in the project.
“We all have a role to play in restoring the wellbeing of our harbour,” Emeny said. “This is what it looks like when community, councils and iwi work together for our waterways and harbour.”
The dashboard can be accessed here: https://pcc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/b0d060a816894333a3a9c0662b6021d4