Welcome to Hawke's Bay Regional Council’s webpages about the special restoration projects that are underway in the region. These projects will restore the quality, number and biodiversity of riparian areas, wetlands, coastal areas and land. You can find out about the Te Karamu Project (information on other projects will be added shortly).
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Many community groups, schools and families enjoy getting involved in these projects, enjoy planting days and seeing their trees and shrubs flourishing in later years. Restoration projects are a great focus for environmental education activity for schools.
Council also advises and assists private landowners to achieve similar goals on their own properties.
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On this page
Why restoration matters
Hawke's Bay’s conversion from its original grassland and bush cover, to intensive pastoral and cropping land was a dramatic change. Only small pockets of bush and a few remnant wetlands remain, and are in need of protection and enhancement.
Restoration projects by Council, community groups and private land owners work to restore biodiversity, reduce erosion, and improve water quality. As a result there is often dramatic increase in the amount of native birds and plants that return to these areas.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council owns and manages large sections of land alongside streams and rivers, and in some erosion zones. Council manages these for specific reasons – such as flood management and erosion control – but restoration work works with these goals while also improving the biodiversity and aesthetics of the area. Council frequently works with other organisations such as the Department of Conservation and Hawke's Bay Fish and Game on these projects.
Council also works with private landowners where areas of their land can benefit from restoration. Organisations such as QEII National Trust and Nga Whenua Rahui enable privately and Māori owned land to be covenanted in perpetuity.
Many voluntary organisations and community groups play an important role in caring for our environment and restoring bush and wetland areas.