Greater Wellington Regional Council, the Department of Conservation’s Wellington Hawke’s Bay Conservancy and the Wellington Hawke’s Bay Conservation Board developed the Encore Awards to honour individuals, groups, school communities and landowners whose sustained commitment to environmental restoration, biodiversity and conservation is making the Wellington region a better place to live.
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| Planting October 2012: Rotarian volunteers hard at work planting Oioi (Apodasmia similis). Photo: Graham Craig |
Both the Rotary Club of Plimmerton and Porirua City Council won the Recreational Volunteers Award for their work on the Te Ara Piko Pathway around the Pauatahanui Inlet in the 2011 Encore Awards. Work began in 2000.
The 2012 Awards Ceremony was held on December 3 in the Wellington City Art Gallery. Porirua City Council received a Highly Commended Award for Excellence in Compliance for Te Ara Piko.
There are seven award categories. The Excellence in Compliance Award recognises Greater Wellington consent holders who exceed their compliance requirements to reduce or avoid adverse effects on the environment.
The Judges’ Citation states ‘The Porirua City Council has continued to make good progress on developing Te Ara Piko. The project has been supported by the Rotary Club of Plimmerton who have undertaken considerable work in partnership with the Council to make this project a success’.
potential for adverse effects from placing a man-made structure by the Inlet, and they’ve done their best to avoid the impact of the construction of the Walkway on the Inlet, while ensuring the Walkway is in harmony with its surroundings.
To manage the impacts of the Walkway’s construction, disturbance of the Inlet has been minimised, machinery has been located away from the Inlet and wood was cut off site. Plants have been successfully translocated from the nursery set up by the Rotary Club and problems such as erosion minimised.
The Council consulted widely with the community over the years of the project, and their efforts have significantly enhanced the environment and created a fantastic amenity for the community. This project continues to raise awareness about the significance of the Pauatahanui Inlet and the threats to it.
- District 9940 Newsletter January 2013 page 7
