Honiana Te Puni Reserve

What’s happening?

Construction is now complete on the eastern side of Honiana Te Puni Reserve with Waimarino, the new clubs building for Wellington Rowing Association and Wellington Water Ski Club being blessed and opened on the 24th February 2024. The new carpark alongside Waimarino is open to the public with a path connecting through to the Tāwharau Pods which are being used as the community information centre and cultural building. The permanent shared path for walking and cycling through the east side of the reserve is also complete.

The temporary carpark on the western end of Pito-One, Petone has been closed as our construction team move to this area to commence work on completing the shared path that will tie in with Te Ara Tupua. The western side of Honiana Te Puni Reserve is operating as a yard, to support construction of the shared path. We’ll be using this area for site offices, stockpiling materials and storage of machinery for approximately two years, until the project is near completion in 2026.

View larger map of the Honiana Te Puni Reserve [PDF, 365 KB]

Background

Honiana Te Puni Reserve is situated at the northernmost point of Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington Harbour, at the Western end of Pito-One. In future it will be the northern gateway to the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One section of Te Ara Tupua.

The reserve is named for Honiana Te Puni, a Te Āti Awa rangatira who signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. In the 19th century, Honiana Te Puni Reserve was part of the broader area of Pito-One Pā and Te Tatau o te Pō Pā, with urupā (burial grounds) and gardens nearby.

The reserve land was returned to Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika (Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust) as part of their Treaty settlement, and is managed by Hutt City Council.

During planning for Te Ara Tupua, conversations started about the future for Honiana Te Puni Reserve. These conversations have been led by Te Ara Tupua Mana Whenua Steering Group, and a plan and vision have been agreed by Taranaki Whānui, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, and Hutt City Council.

Changes have been approved by Hutt City Council under the Reserves Act, and as part of the resource consent for Te Ara Tupua. Going forward, a new Reserve Management Plan for the future of the Reserve will be developed by Taranaki Whānui and Hutt City Council.

Vision for Honiana Te Puni Reserve

Tāwharau Pods

The Tāwharau Pods, two small, relocatable buildings at the eastern side of Honiana Te Puni Reserve. This will be their temporary location until Te Ara Tupua is complete. Designed to provide a more active Taranaki Whānui presence at the reserve, they host a studio that is being used by iwi Māori artists working on Te Ara Tupua, and a Te Ara Tupua project information centre. Later, they will be shifted to the west side of the Reserve, once the shared path is complete.

Waimarino

Waimarino is the new purpose-built building that will accommodate both the Wellington Water Ski Club and Wellington Rowing Association at the eastern end of the reserve. Both clubs have been closely involved in the design process which includes storage, a new clubroom facility, new publicly accessible parking spaces, and access to the harbour for both clubs.

Sculptures

The existing Honiana Te Puni pou will be reinstated and a new sculpture, will be placed to the west of Korokoro Stream. A second new sculpture, Te Parororangi, will serve as the gateway to Honiana Te Puni Reserve from Te Ara Tupua.

New whare

Approved plans include a site for a whare to the west of Korokoro Stream providing a future opportunity to further bring Taranaki Whānui’s cultural identity to the heart of the reserve.