A child's bike, family tent and portable camping toilet were among items pulled from Porirua Stream on Wednesday, during a Porirua City Council staff planting and litter pick-up session.

Eighty staff - a number of them relishing the chance to get away from their screens - took part in the clean-up and planting. In cool but fine conditions, more than 1700 plants were put in the ground streamside opposite New World for the good of the city - it was an activity to highlight the Council’s commitment to the health of Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour and its catchment through investment, advocacy and regulation.

All up, 281.7kg of rubbish was collected, which doesn’t include shopping trollies, road cones and other flotsam.

Random items plucked out of the stream and surrounds included a single high heel, family tent, vacuum cleaner, garden rake, BMX, outdoor brazier, and a machete - the latter leading to a call to the local constabulary to pick up.

All the litter was sorted and then added to a database to help provide insights into the sources of the rubbish.

The plants put into the ground add to the 165,000 planted streamside in different parts of our city this year by our planting team, contractors, volunteers and organisations. About 3800 students, teachers and parent helpers from 34 schools across the region have also helped with the plantings over winter.

© Scoop Media