This World Water Day, we joined the community to celebrate the reopening of their taonga – Bothamley Park (The Old Road) and the significant infrastructure work we’ve just completed to help clean up Porirua’s waterways.
After two years of significant construction work, it was great to come together to learn about the awa and taiao, play, run/walk, and explore this beautiful space once again. From the speeches to reconnecting with the space and one another, kai and fun activities this was a day to remember.
It was clear from early conversations that protecting and enhancing te taiao (the environment) was a priority for both mana whenua and the community. One of the most impactful ways Te Rā Nui could support this kaupapa, alongside enabling more houses for the East was by replacing over 3km of old wastewater pipes through Bothamley Park.
Every year, an estimated 40,000m³ of untreated sewage overflowed into Kenepuru Stream and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour. That’s enough to fill 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
To address this, Te Rā Nui upgraded over 3km of the wastewater pipe network through the park. “The new pipes have been designed to support current and future generations. They’re almost a meter wide (double the size of the old pipes), long lasting and durable, making them more resilient during natural events like earthquakes” says Project Director Will Pennington.
But that’s not all. This project provided opportunities to improve the look and feel of Bothamley Park - from laying most of the pipes underground, to removing the old pine trees so more light streams and allowing for 70,000 locally grown native plants to be planted by residents in our Environmental Cadetship Programme. Even the carpark and 1.8 km of tracks have had a makeover, ready for our Porirua whānau to enjoy.
A huge thank you to our civil and infrastructure experts, Te Aranga Alliance (including Higgins, Brian Perry Civil, Goodmans, Beca, Orogen, and Harrison Grierson), for completing the construction of this complex upgrade in just over two years.
And most importantly thank you to the people of Porirua and wider community, for your patience as we’ve worked to enable the delivery of more homes in the East, while restoring te taiao for everyone to enjoy.
