Puhinui stream and public space improvements Te Aka Raataa

Te Aka Raataa is the name of a project to improve the Puhinui stream in Wiri and create new publicly accessible open space and connections around it that support the growing local community.

Ngaati Tamaoho, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, Te Ākitai Waiohua gifted the name ‘Te Aka Raataa’ to the project, referencing the white raataa climbing vine that was once prominent in the area.

The project is part of the wider Te Whakaoranga o te Puhinui (Puhinui stream regeneration) programme and forms part of the urban regeneration programme that Eke Panuku is leading in Manukau. This project is the first Puhinui awa (stream) improvement to be delivered under the programme’s regenerative strategy.

 The project will:

• • improve stormwater infrastructure to help restore the Puhinui stream’s health
  • enhance the quality of water flowing into the Manukau Harbour
  • create new, wider walking paths, cycleways and boardwalks across the stream, enabling access alongside it, and between the communities on either side
  • create new wetlands to re-energise the awa, improve biodiversity and welcome back aquatic and bird life to the area
  • incorporate art and design elements created by local iwi.

Te Aka Raataa will be delivered in stages, initially focused on improving the stream and the surrounding area in Wai-Akatea / Raataa Vine Stream Reserve. It will ultimately help connect the Auckland Botanic Gardens to Hayman Park (Manu-kau Noa Iho) through a restored, seamless and thriving blue-green corridor.

Stage 1 is focused on improving the stream and surrounding corridor in Wai-Akatea / Raataa Vine Stream Reserve. The reserve is a narrow, open space connected to the Auckland Botanic Gardens via a motorway underpass to the east and Great South Road to the west.

Work in this stage includes the naturalisation of the Puhinui stream by removing the existing concrete channel and realigning the stream to create natural meanders. It will also include further daylighting of the stormwater pipes, the creation of wetlands to improve water quality, and establishing instream ecological habitats to support bird and fish life. There will also be significant planting along the stream to add greenery, help clean stormwater and create an appealing destination for locals and visitors.

Public access alongside and across the ancestral stream will also be improved with a new 4m-wide shared path, new stream crossings to connect communities with points of interest and mahi toi (artwork), a playful learning hub, nature play and park amenities.

Stage 2 will focus on the section of the Puhinui stream between Great South Road and Kerrs Road. Eke Panuku purchased a 7.6 hectare stretch of land in 2023 to enable the improvements, which will for the first time enable public access along the full length of the Puhinui stream.  

This stage will complete the public connection along the Puhinui Stream corridor using sustainable water-sensitive design which will benefit the surrounding communities.

Work in this stage will include completing the public connection alongside the stream by extending the shared path from stage 1, increasing the stream length and adding large, natural meanders that support high- and low flows to mitigate against erosion, enhancing the existing natural wetlands and creating new wetlands.

Significant new native planting and improvements to the stream corridor will help improve water quality and ecological habitats, similar to stage 1, while also creating natural stormwater mitigation measures. By adding new natural mitigation measures, we can help protect the surrounding community from flooding, like it has in other parts of Auckland.