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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Mount Welcome Fast Track Process
The proposed Mount Welcome development on some of Porirua Harbour’s most erosion prone land should not be consented in the short term, the Harbour Trust and Guardians of Pāuatahanui Inlet believe. In a joint submission to the Fast Track Panel considering a request by the developers for a 15 year consent for 949 houses and…
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Funding opportunity for catchment projects
Applications are open until 13 September for Te Awarua o Porirua Community Environment Fund for groups working around the harbour catchments. https://www.gw.govt.nz/your-region/funding-and-awards/te-awarua-o-porirua-community-environment-fund/
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Community briefed on Harbour Accord Action Plan
A great turnout on 3 August 2026 of 50 individuals, councillors and representatives of groups that work around the habour and its catchments to hear members of the Harbour Accord steering group provide a briefing on the Accord Action Plan. We were advised that the 20 point action plan was presented to Chief Executives of…
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Bird Flu is upon us
Being in the Wellington region where bird flu has already been detected, our harbour with its abundance of sea birds is in the firing line. It’s likely to be a rough time for our wildlife and sad for all of us who highly value the presence of abundant bird life in our environment.
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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Two more planting opportunities
UPDATE; THE 8 AUGUST CAMBORNE WALKWAY PLANTING EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. – We will publish more info on the next planting date by Plimmerton Rotary, currently scheduled for 5 September, when details are available. Bush Corridor 26 July – with the Whitireia Park Restoration Group Sunday 26 July from 9.30am to 12.30pm is your last…
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What’s in the Harbour Accord Plan?
Officials from the five partner agencies of the Harbour Accord have been beavering away on a joint action plan that will bring the Accord fully to life as a force to restore the harbour’s health. Representatives from the Steering Committee have offered to give groups and individuals who work around the harbour and its catchments…
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Proposed road threatens harbour
Former WCC Councillor and Porirua Harbour Trust trustee, Peter Gilberd, is drawing our attention to the proposed Petone to Grenada link road that will have a negative impact on a key tributary of the Porirua Stream that feeds into our harbour. Join the locals for a protest walk on Kings birthday…
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.
