Conservation Volunteers New Zealand (CVNZ) will mark a major milestone in the restoration of South Auckland’s Papakura Stream this month with the official opening of a new native plant nursery.

“Today, tree cover across the catchment is extremely low,” says Rosa Thompson, CVNZ Regional Manager for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. “Without enough vegetation, the area is more vulnerable to flooding, pollution and biodiversity loss, and less able to cope with the increasing pressures of climate change. We’ve been planting here for several years to restore native cover, and the new nursery will help accelerate that work across the catchment.”

Stretching 63 kilometres, longer than the Milford Track, the Papakura Stream flows from Whitford in the east to the Manukau Harbour in the west. Once blanketed in indigenous forest, including extensive kahikatea swamp, much of this habitat has been cleared over time as farming, industry and urban development expanded.

The Papakura Stream Restoration Project was established in 2021 through a partnership between CVNZ, local landowners and farmers, and the Franklin, Papakura and Manurewa Local Boards.

The project has already delivered significant environmental gains.

“Since the project began, more than 165,000 native plants have been planted by CVNZ staff and volunteers,” Rosa said.

“Fencing, weed removal, litter clean-ups, water quality monitoring and community education initiatives have also been undertaken to improve the health of the stream. The project now includes 11 landowners and work has been completed across 14 sites, with volunteers contributing more than 14,815 volunteer days restoring the catchment.”

Donald’s Farm, an educational dairy farm, has partnered with CVNZ to plant tributaries of the Papakura Stream that flow through the property. Farm Manager Sam Waugh said collaboration between the community and conservation groups has been key to the project’s success.

“The scale and impact of this restoration wouldn’t be possible without collaboration between the community, council and CVNZ,” he said. “As an educational dairy farm, we want our students and visitors to see what ‘good’ looks like. It’s been incredible to see the positive impact the restoration work has had on the land.”

Rosa is excited about the planting potential of the new nursery. “Native planting plays a critical role in restoring ecosystem health,” she said.

“Trees stabilise soil, filter sediment and nutrients before they enter waterways, and provide shade that regulates stream temperature. The new nursery will help expand this work and support ongoing restoration in the Papakura catchment.

Annual water quality monitoring and eDNA testing is performed at multiple sites along the Papakura Stream. Early signs of ecological recovery are already emerging. Last year, scientists discovered a thriving population of kākahi (freshwater mussels) at one of our Brookby restoration sites, including individuals estimated to be up to 30 years old - one of the healthiest Auckland populations recorded in 2025!

Increased plant cover also creates vital habitat for taonga species including tuna (eel), inanga and banded kōkopu. Birdlife such as kākā, korimako, kererū and tūī benefit from additional food sources, while the rarely seen pekapeka (long-tailed bat), New Zealand’s only native land mammal, is known to inhabit the upper reaches of the catchment.”

CVNZ Chief Executive Stephanie Vercoe said the nursery will play a key role in scaling restoration work. “The new nursery will ensure a reliable supply of locally sourced native plants suited to the ecological needs of the catchment.

It will also support our wider Auckland restoration projects, including the new Try Taiao initiative launching this month, which will create employment pathways into conservation for rangatahi.

The Papakura Stream Restoration Project represents a long-term commitment to restoring healthy ecosystems while strengthening community connection, and protecting Auckland biodiversity for future generations.”

Partners, landowners and stakeholders have been invited to attend the official nursery opening later this month to celebrate the progress achieved and look ahead to the next phase of restoration. Media are also invited to attend the event on 20 March 2026.

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