Te Aka Raataa: Regenerating Te Puhinui for a Greener Future
24 February 2025
- Manukau
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- Sustainability
- Mana Whenua
- Urban regeneration
A major transformation is underway for Te Puhinui / Puhinui Stream, with Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 leading the charge to regenerate the mauri of this vital waterway and its surrounding communities.
A Healthier Future for Manukau
After years of declining water quality and environmental degradation, Te Aka Raataa is breathing new life into the stream and surrounding areas. This initiative reconnects people with nature, ensuring a healthier future for Manukau.
As part of the Eke Panuku Transform Manukau regeneration programme, this project will revitalise Rata Vine Stream Reserve, creating green spaces that connect communities and link to the town centre, Hayman Park, and beyond.
Councillor Daniel Newman is a strong advocate for seeing this investment in the south.
"At its heart this project is about the health of urban streams and waterways, and how they relate to the neighbours and the surrounding community. I am proud to have been able to help secure the budgets necessary to deliver these projects, and I know we can make a meaningful difference to the Puhinui Stream. My thanks to all of the staff and the contractors who are working on the front line to deliver a successful project,".
Councillor
Daniel Newman
Councillor Angela Dalton expresses her support for the initiative:
"I’m wholeheartedly behind Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 because it’s about shaping a sustainable future for our communities. By regenerating the awa, we’re making meaningful strides for the future - improving water quality, creating green spaces for people to reconnect with nature and each other, and strengthening links to the Manukau area. This is a wonderful opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient community, and I’m proud to be part of it."
Councillor
Angela Dalton
Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui: A Bold Regeneration Plan
Te Puhinui, a cherished ecological and cultural taonga, has long been disconnected from its surrounding communities. The launch of Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 marks a significant milestone—an ambitious collaboration aimed at regenerating this natural treasure while transforming Manukau into a greener, more connected city.
Grounded in mātauranga Māori, the initiative places iwi leadership at its heart, ensuring that the regeneration of Te Puhinui benefits future generations.
Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui sets out a long-term vision for intergenerational well-being, emphasising the profound connections between people, place, and nature. This initiative is a key part of the broader Transform Manukau programme.
Richard Davison, Eke Panuku Priority Location Director, shares his thoughts:
“This marks an exciting milestone in a project that has been years in the making as part of the Transform Manukau programme. Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 is about more than just regenerating a stream—it’s about reconnecting people with nature and strengthening community ties. This first stage moves us closer to the vision of a continuous link from the Botanic Gardens to Hayman Park and Manukau city centre, creating a vibrant accessible pathway through a revitalised green space that everyone can enjoy, while also supporting new housing development in the area.”
Eke Panuku Priority Location Director
Richard Davison
A Collaborative Effort for Lasting Change
Bringing together Eke Panuku, Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience, Ngaati Tamaoho, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, and the Manurewa Local Board, this project is a shared commitment to restoring the health of the Puhinui catchment and its people.
Local Board Chair Matt Winiata acknowledges the collaboration with iwi and wider community groups that have progressed this important kaupapa.
“We are excited to be delivering this stream naturalisation project for the Puhinui community in close partnership with Eke Panuku. By restoring the stream to a more natural state, we’re improving water quality, supporting biodiversity, and creating a healthier, more resilient environment for both people and wildlife.”
General Manager Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience
Craig Mcilroy
Manurewa Local Board Chair Matt Winiata acknowledges the collaboration with iwi and wider community groups that have progressed this important kaupapa.
“Undertaking a project like this would not be possible without the time, skill and mātauranga knowledge of our community.” “Stage 1 is an exciting time for residents who live near the awa, the long-term benefits of a revitalised Puhinui Stream will be felt for generations to come.”
Manurewa Local Board Chair
Matt Winiata
Project Benefits
Awa-First approach: We're helping the stream flow more like it used to by bringing back its natural state to improve its flow. By adding planting and wetlands, we’ll help protect the banks from washing away and improve the water quality.
Revitalising green spaces: providing quality open spaces for people to relax, gather, learn and play.
Connecting people to nature: Providing better community access to the stream with new boardwalks and improving connections with wider pathways for walking and cycling
Supporting native wildlife: Creating healthy habitats for birds, insects, and aquatic life.
This is just the beginning - Te Aka Raataa is laying the foundation for a greener, healthier Manukau, where both people and nature thrive together.
Works are scheduled to be completed by December 2025.
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