Newspaper Article 2010 – Pekapeka Progress

PEKAPEKA PROGRESS

It has been a fantastic bird breeding season at the Pekapeka wetland, especially for the Australasian bittern. The rare bird has a higher conservation status in Hawke’s Bay than the brown kiwi and the blue duck.

John Adams from the Department of Conservation says willow control at Pekapeka has undoubtedly created a more natural habitat instead of a thick canopy. “It is returning the area to its original state, which is great news for the bittern.”

The enhancement of Pekapeka wetland is continually moving ahead, thanks to community work on the ground and behind the scenes.

This summer we will be putting the finishing touches on the care park area and spraying willow regrowth. We will also be cutting down some more dead tree trunks and building boardwalks and bridges if the water level gets low enough which in a normal year is not usually an issue!

“Then it’s all so for the autumn planting season during June/July with 15,000 trees scheduled to go in, thanks to $317,087 of assistance from the NZ Lottery Grants Board,” says Steve Cave, Hawke’s Bay Operations environmental manager, who manages Council-owned wetlands and country parks.

As the railway line runs right through the middle of the 90ha site, KiwiRail are contributing discounted railway sleepers for use in the design of the yet-to-be-built interpretation area.

The Community Foundation gave the Pekapeka project $50,000 in 2009. Chairman Peter Dunkerley, who is also a member of the group Friends of Pekapeka, says focus and hard work has turned the project into a vibrant and exciting opportunity. “It shows what good can be done if our community gets together with some financial resource and expertise and some energy. It was an opportunity that wasn’t going anywhere. Someone said why not pick it up and do something with it. So we did.”

The contractors have almost completed the carparks, although having to widen the road for the entrance way was an unexpected hurdle. Later this year the interpretation area and toilets will be constructed – and you will find it easy to visit Pekapeka and discover this wonderful place.

Photo caption – Chairman Alan Dick (right) with Peter Dunkerley and James Morgan from the Community Foundation which assisted by fundraising $50,000 for the Pekapeka enhancement project. Photo courtesy of Hawke’s Bay Today