Landscape Management

The decision in 2008 to create a 5 kilometre heritage walk from the Wairoa town along the length of the Wairoa River banks to its mouth led to the engagement of EELA to oversee its integration into the riparian and coastal environment. Later EELA prepared reserve management plans for the riverside reserves and designed the extension of the walk into the heritage pa site known as Rangihoua/Pilot Hill. [Read more]

For some years now the Department of Conservation has been concerned at the depletion of wildlife values at Whakamahi lagoon at the mouth of the Wairoa River, in close proximity to the main town centre of Wairoa. It is a popular year-round destination for the people of Wairoa who undertake a range of recreational activities there: dog exercising, horse riding, fishing, trail biking and walking. Access for these activities is along the Old Whakamahi Road which runs along the spit or gravel beach bar to the south of the lagoon. At the end of the road along the spit there is a small vehicle turning circle, and from here there is free access for vehicles, horses and dogs to the wetland area......[Read more]

Not all erosion protection works are created equal, but the Hawkes Bay Regional Council looked favourably on this united community-led and funded project at Oraka, Mahia Peninsula. Supported by the local hapu and with EELA’s landscape and visual AEE report noting the significant improvement to natural character that would result, a simple rock rip-rap bank was designed by engineers for the foreshore lagoon embankment. Random existing protection measures (from dangerous waratahs to ugly chains of car tyres) are now replaced with a soft engineering solution that has united the visual character of the foreshore and provided a grassed verge where boats are stored, seats provided for people to gather and safe access to the lagoon for swimming enabled. The protection works have proved their resilience through one winter to date and planting along the upper bank, using species suggested by EELA, is fast becoming established. [See Photo Gallery]