Tawa Community Says, ‘Save Our Forest’!

Tawa residents turned out in force on Sunday 19 February to ask Wellington Mayor Justin Lester and councillors to acquire a large forest, the 36 ha. Forest of Tane, to protect ecological, recreational and water management value.

Although the meeting was organised at short notice, the Tawa Community Centre was bursting at the seams as 220 people heard how Council had previously sought to buy the forest, with the intention of adding it to the Wellington Outer Green Belt. The area is listed in the council database for ‘protection’.

The land is now for sale as a forest revenue opportunity with subdivision potential.

Community environmental volunteer group Friends of Tawa Bush Reserves is campaigning for Council to secure the land.

The forest is a mix of regenerating native bush, and pine plantation with well-developed na- tive undergrowth, and is a large part of Tawa’s bush.

A walking track through the Forest of Tane, connects Tawa with the Spicer Forest Reserve and Wellington Outer Green Belt, Te Araroa National Walkway, and Colonial Knob.

Tawa bush is well-recognised as an important corridor for migrating birdlife, connecting with Zealandia, Kapiti and Mana Islands, and other major reserve areas.

The land contains a large catchment with stream tributaries that flow through Tawa into the Porirua Stream and then to Porirua Harbour.

Friends of Tawa Bush President Wayne Pincott said the land had considerable value to the community for its ecological, recreational and water management value.

“It’s also a key to achieving a long overdue completion of the northern reserves, which are currently under-represented in the Outer Green Belt,” said Pincott.

He said potential developers who wished to harvest the forest and build on the land would face the challenge of getting access through council land to extract the logs.

Community opposition was also likely due to flooding risks from erosion, sedimentation im- pacts on the Porirua Stream and Harbour, and the general loss of green space to residents, said Pincott.

The land zoned ‘rural’ was not suitable for higher density development and would make no significant difference to housing supply.

“It makes more sense for Council to offer a fair price and buy the forest. This is a great op- portunity to invest in an asset that future generations of Wellingtonians will thank us for,” said Pincott.

The Mayor, Wellington Northern Ward Councillors, Greater Wellington Porirua-Tawa Ward Councillors, Wellington Forest and Bird chairperson Colin Ryder, and various community leaders, all expressed support for the proposal.

ENDS

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