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 commercial premises, PHT and GOPI contend there is neither the demand nor the infrastructure to handle such a development on top of the Plimmerton Farm development already underway and in the absence of a master plan for the seven blocks of the Northern Growth area. The trunk sewage pipes through Mana are already at capacity with frequent overflows during rain events. Sediment flows to the Taupō swamp and down the Kakaho stream into the inlet are choking the harbour. If the panel does decide to consent the development we suggest a limit of 5 years rather than the 15 being sought. This would enable better technology, particularly related to climate change adaptation, to be available before the bulk of the development’s stages would be built.
Category: News
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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 the five partner organisations last week and it will be published shortly. The Harbour Trust will provide an online link as soon as one is available.
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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.
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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 chance this year to help out at the Restoration Group’s planting days.
This site is the last link between the remnant bush above Onehunga Bay and the inland loop track.
This site is a 5 minute walk form Onehunga Bay carpark and is relatively sheltered and child friendly.
Bring several layers of clothing, a planting spade if you have one, gloves and a warm hat.
Spades, some gloves, hot food and hot drinks will be available.
If it is raining the event will be postponed to the following Sunday (2 August).Camborne Walkway 8 August – with the Rotary Club of Plimmerton
When 12.45 for 1 pm start on Saturday 8 August
Where: Meet at the Penryn Drive access to the Camborne Walkway
Wear: Suitable clothes for planting, sturdy boots or gumboots, gloves.
RSVP: Brett Jones
President, Rotary Club of Plimmerton0225212719
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Whitireia Escarpment planting
Another 700 plants went into the ground of the Whitireia escarpment at the first community planting day of 2026 held by the Park Restoration Group . The aim is to create bird and lizard habitat. Plants have been carefully chosen for this purpose including some that are unique to the Cook Strait coast. Well organised by Robyn, Chris and the Park Group ably supported by Ranger Jordan and many others. A rare windless day in warm early winter sunshine and after days of rain got these plants off to the best possible start.
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Jono Ridler, we salute you and your cause!
The Trust salutes Jono Ridler for his epic record breaking 1337km swim of the entire East Coast of the North Island and into Wellington, drawing attention to the dangers to the ocean of bottom trawling. Our shallow water west-coast harbour in Porirua is safe from commercial trawling and has legal protection against nets although individuals from time to time are either unaware of the rules or are determined to ignore them.
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Shameful pollution of our awa and harbour
Another huge haul-out of pollutants in and around the Porirua Stream. Thanks to Keep New Zealand Beautiful and the Petone Beach Cleanup Crew plus many local volunteers who turned up in drizzly conditions. Plastic bottles and takeaway wrappers is one thing but tyres, cones, builders waste and those damn trolleys is another… Help protect our awa with better behaviour please citizens of Porirua and northern Wellington…
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Post southerly day delights
On one of Porirua’s “sorry for yesterday’s southerly” days, the Pāpakowhai lagoons were showing off the benefits of the planting programmes while in the reserve “freshwater” pond the duckweed bloom from nutrient enriched stormwater runoff didn’t seem to upset the resident eels playful behaviour!.
Shared path plantings coming along nicely Look but don’t touch or catch – we’re lucky to have them here…. -
Harbour could degrade further under proposed new legislation
The Harbour Trust and the Guardians of the Inlet have made joint submissions on the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill.
We support well planned growth and development compatible with environmental limits and ecological capacity. These Bills, as currently written, will not deliver that.
Our concerns are that the Bills lack clear, enforceable and precautionary environmental limits. Furthermore, it is very unclear how the two pieces of legislation would work together along with other changes that the Government has made or is making with fast track legislation, regional government reform and lodcal body rates capping.
Read the detail in our submissions.