News release
8 January 2009

Popular pingao pings plant of the year award

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Pingao planting at Petone Dunes site

Pingao – it’s been voted as plant of the year for 2009 in the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network’s annual poll – but it’s been one of Greater Wellington’s favoured plants for many years.

Anyone who spends time on the beaches around Wellington will recognise the plant, even if they don’t know its name, says Greater Wellington’s Community Environmental Projects team leader Robyn Smith. “It looks glorious en masse – with its golden leaves blowing in the wind.

“But more to the point, it does a superb job of binding sand, trapping it so it doesn’t blow away and keeping sand dunes in place. And it’s an important plant for Māori, who use it for weaving and medicinal purposes.”

Greater Wellington is supporting groups from Otaki to Castlepoint to plant native species such as pingao and whangatara (spinifex). These plants are increasingly used in foredune restoration to stabilise and restore dune systems that protect our beaches and coastal areas from erosion and damage from storms and waves.

Greater Wellington Hutt Ward Councillor Prue Lamason enjoys the sight of pingao on her regular walks along Petone Beach foreshore.

“The presence of pingao is doing a lot to improve and enhance Petone Beach… and I like to think that it’s helping the beach to look more like it did when the area was first settled.”

Cr Lamason says the work of organisations like the Petone Dune Restoration Group is invaluable. “They put in hours of the own time – and the community is really helping too – taking note of signs and respecting the planting sites.”

Learn more about restoring coastal areas or find out about your local coastal care group at www.gw.govt.nz/Restoring-coastal-areas/ or www.gw.govt.nz/community-environmental-projects

ENDS

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