24th June 2024

We've completed the installation of 56 concrete ‘pyramid’ units as part of the reef enhancement work we're doing to restore the diverse marine life under the Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One (Ngauranga to Petone) section of Te Ara Tupua.

To build Te Ara Tupua - the project to create a walking and cycling path and improve State Highway 2's resilience between Wellington and Lower Hutt—consent conditions require us to deliver improvements to the marine habitat and water quality to restore the diverse marine life. The reef is an important element of the project and reflects how we respect the environment of Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington Harbour); a harbour that has great historical and cultural significance to iwi mana whenua Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa.

Through cost efficient and effective innovation and design, the units create habitat for a variety of species and life cycles. Working with iwi mana whenua, a monitoring programme has been established to measure the development of the reef habitat overtime, while assessing marine diversity. This incorporates mana whenua values along with ecological measures.