The Porirua Harbour
focus of the Porirua Harbour and Catchments Community Trust
known as the Porirua Harbour Trust (PHT)
Welcome to the Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and Catchments Community Trust (PHT) website
The Porirua Harbour (Te Awarua o Porirua) is the heart of Porirua City and the largest estuary system in the lower North Island. It’s a place of cultural, ecological, recreational, and economic importance — and it needs our care.
Our mission is simple: to protect and restore the health of the harbour while ensuring it remains a place for people, wildlife, and future generations to enjoy.
Vision & Purpose
- Vision: A harbour and catchment that is healthy, resilient, and thriving — where ecosystems are protected or restored, people can safely use and enjoy the harbour, kai moana is safe to harvest, and economic activity is sustained without compromising future needs.
- Purpose: To adopt a long-term perspective in decision making, foster public awareness of the harbour’s values, promote and facilitate restorative actions, and to actively advocate and monitor for the best possible outcomes for the harbour and catchment.
Latest News
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Our changing world: Pāuatahanui Inlet
Radio New Zealand’s Our Changing World programme puts the spotlight on the Harbour Accord and the Pāuatahanui Inlet. Quotes from all the key people from the iwi to the regional council
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Matt Trlin joins Trust
The Trust welcomes the highly experienced Matt Trlin as our 10th current trustee. Matt, a long-time Porirua resident, brings over 30 years’ service in community engagement, and environment, urban and infrastructure planning and management. Passionate about Te Awarua o Porirua Harbour, its catchment and community, Matt is committed to fostering awareness, partnerships and action needed…
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Ashleigh Sagar appointed to Trust
The Trust was delighted to welcome Ashleigh Sagar as a trustee in October. Born and raised in Takapūwāhia, Ashleigh (Ngāti Toa Rangatira) has a lifelong connection to TeAwarua o Porirua. Through her work with the Te Mana Taiao team at Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, Ashleigh brings together Mātauranga Māori and environmental science to care…
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Exemplary progress at Taupō Swamp
Three of our trustees joined the Te Hononga ki te Upoko hikoi around the Taupō Swamp. Expertly guided by Bill McAulay of the Friends of Taupō Swamp and Catchment we witnessed the tremendous progress made since plantings began in 2018. Many of the native trees are already 5 metres tall. The project is a great…
Follow the news and stay up to date with cultural, ecological, recreational, and economic activities around the Porirua Harbour. Browse the news gallery, visit us on Facebook or subscribe to News by Email.
Explore the Harbour
Discover the largest estuary in the lower North Island
This website will give you an introduction to our wonderful harbour. The link below will help build your knowledge of this natural treasure or taonga. We hope it will also whet your appetite to physically experience the environment in all its moods and gain a better understanding of the changes that humans have wreaked on the habitats of the awarua. We hope too that it might inspire you to lend your support to restoring the harbour’s health.
Take a hike and meander the inlet
Latest Events
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Mutumutu ki Mukukai
Led by Mutumutu and Mukukai, kaitiaki of fresh and saltwater for Ngāti Toa, this exhibition aims to share the cultural values, knowledge and enduring relationship of Ngāti Toa, as kaitiaki mana whenua, to the interconnected water sources of this region. A focus is the urgent return to full health of the once teeming ecosystem of…
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Porirua CBD Foreshore clean up
January 25 @ 8:00 am – 9:30 am Behind the Porirua Pak’nSave Parumoana Street. Petone Beach Clean-up and KNZB flags will clearly be seen for the meeting point.Bags and grabbers will be supplied, please bring gardening gloves if you own some.If you want to cross the inlet at low tide, be prepared to get wet up to waist height.…
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Porirua Heritage Trails Guided Tour
Guided tour of newly installed signs along Te Awarua o Porirua with histories of Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Porirua. There are two guided tours of six newly installed signs that form part of the Porirua Heritage Trails. Come along to hear information and stories relating to the history of Porirua and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.
Subscribe to our events calendar and stay up to date with cultural, ecological, recreational, and economic activities around the Porirua Harbour. Browse the events calender, visit us on Facebook or subscribe to Events by Email.
Media Galleries
The harbour is a rich subject for nature photography and videograhy. An exquisite compilation showcases a diverse array of media that capture the essence of different eras.
