A SEED agreement between Council and local group Wairoa Community Ngahere Nursery (WCNN) could see major environmental growth and improvements for the district.

Council this month agreed to a lease agreement with WCNN, who will use a section of Council-owned land behind the old Wairoa fire station in Lucknow Street to set up a community nursery.

CEO Steven May says Council will clean up the section, moving the existing water supply to where it will be needed for the nursery.

A new gateway will be made and debris will be cleared off the section for the nursery.

Storage for tools will also be built for the nursery group.

Mayor Craig Little said he was excited for the initiative because it allowed vacant land to be used for a “great community purpose”.

“Council fully supports this initiative, and we will be assisting the Wairoa Community Ngahere Nursery in any way we can,” Mr Little said.

Wairoa Community Ngahere Nursery grew has grown out of the Wairoa Awa Restoration Project (WARP).

WARP was set up to encourage planting and growing native plants and trees to combat pollution and erosion of the banks of the river.

Interim Chairperson Leanne Whatuira says the group’s main goal is to secure funding to build a community nursery where native plants can be propagated, with the input coming from the local community.

“Our poor awa (river) is carrying many tonnes of soil out to the moana – which is a reminder of how vital it is to get native trees planted,” Mrs Whatuira said.

“One of the purposes of the nursery is to provide a focus and a facility for the involvement of the community in growing native plants.

“We also want to provide native plants for riparian plantings to restore degraded banks and waterways in the Wairoa catchment, thus combating erosion and the silting of waterways.

“We hope we can liaise with other organisations to further the aims of the nursery and benefits to the community.

“From time to time we may provide plants for other planting sites within the Wairoa district.

Seeds have been eco-sourced, processed and catalogued.

Seeds with growing instructions have been distributed to individuals, families, groups, schools, kohanga, kindergartens, and marae.

“We have visited the Ngāti Pāhauwera nursery, where valuable advice, information, seeds and support were provided by the nursery.

“Ko te wai te ora o nga mea katoa - water is the life giver of all things.”

For more information about the WCNN, you can visit their Facebook page @WairoaCommunityNgahereNursery.

31 October 2018

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