The Government has marked World Wetlands Day by highlighting efforts to restore the internationally recognised Wairarapa Moana wetlands.
The work is being funded by $3.5 million from the Environment Ministry’s Jobs for Nature fund, about $1 million from the Greater Wellington Council and a smaller sum from the Department of Conservation.
Project lead Kereana Sims from the council says as well as creating jobs, the project is about restoring mana to hapū and iwi.
About 30 jobs will be created over the next five years to restore at least 30 hectares of wetland through indigenous planting, and to control pests across 1000 hectares of wetlands and surrounding land.
Since 2008 the Wairarapa community, mana whenua and central and local government have been working together to restore the wetland which is heavily polluted with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous and suffering from erosion and sedimentation.
Wairarapa Moana supports more than 50 native freshwater and birds species, in addition to the areas international significance for migratory bird species as recognised by the recent Ramsar protection status.
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