Te Tautara o Pukekohe
What we’re doing
About the trust
The fertile, friable soils and benign local climate have made the Pukekohe area famous for its ahuwhenua, vegetable growing for over a thousand years. Over generations, the Pukekohe catchment has supported the vegetable growing enterprises of a diverse collective of cultures, feeding people with fresh and healthy kai. As such, today’s area is strategically important for growing fresh vegetables and maintaining food security for New Zealanders. Over time, long-term trends in water quality degradation have been recorded in freshwater flowing within and from Pukekohe.
In November 2021, Sustainable Land Use Ministers approved a multimillion dollar investment in the Pukekohe SVGA and the catchments of all WAI flowing from the area (the Project Focus Area) from the Essential Freshwater Fund (EFF) to fund the development of Mahia te Maheretanga - Te Ora o Te Wai: Pukekohe action plan
Click below to download the Te Ora o Te Wai action plan.
Believing in the critical importance of clean water, tāngata whenua, the Crown, vegetable growers, and local councils wish to work collaboratively, building on shared knowledge, practice and understanding, to improve the quality of freshwater of Pukekohe and its receiving environments. This aspiration is the foundation for Te Ora o Te Wai Pukekohe Action Plan. The vision of the Action Plan is:
A healthy freshwater environment flowing within and from Pukekohe where its wellbeing is protected and enhanced while supplying fresh vegetables for the health and wellbeing of the people of Aotearoa New Zealand
In June 2024, The Ministry for Environment approved a total investment of $5.6 million in the Pukekohe SVGA and the catchments of all WAI flowing from the area from the Essential Freshwater Fund (EFF) to fund the implementation of priority projects identified through the Action plan. Te Tautara o Pukekohe will manage and distribute the funding to priority projects on the Ministry’s behalf.
Te Tautara o Pukekohe is governed by representatives from Ngaati Te Ata, Ngaati Tamaoho, Ngaati Tipa, Horticulture NZ, and Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association.
Overview of our projects
We are grateful for the support received from the Essential Freshwater Fund through the Ministry for the Environment. This funding is enabling the delivery of 11 priority projects over the next 12 months.
Crop stacking environmental performance trial
Aims to validate growing systems that involve 'stacking' a cover crop with a cash crop to improve soil health and reduce soil and nutrient loss. This project extends an earlier pilot to larger field trials and covers more vegetable crops.
Integrated catchment approach to sediment management
Aims to move from recent proof-of-concept work to mass implementation of sediment treatment devices. These would be rolled out in an integrated way with the support of Healthy Waters’ (Auckland Council) Freshwater Management Tool. Work will focus on horticulture-rich catchments within the wider Pukekohe vegetable growing area.
Ecological network and planting strategy
Aims to map the existing and potential ecological network, and to set out a long-term planting strategy for all restoration/regeneration projects under the Pukekohe Action Plan.
Ngāti Tamaoho cultural indicator and monitoring
Aims to develop cultural indicators; train Ngāti Tamaoho iwi members in cultural monitoring framework tool; and conduct baseline monitoring of awa.
Ngāti Te Ata Maramataka
Cultural indicator development on the basis of Ngāti Te Ata lunar calendar. Development of a monitoring tool, training Ngāti Te Ata iwi members in the tool, and conducting baseline monitoring.
Te Ahikawariki
Vegetable Industry Centre of Excellence: Aims to fill gaps in applied research specific to vegetable production; provides free access to that research; and supports extension work promoting the uptake of best management practices (ie, going beyond industry approved good management practices).
Nitrate decision support, embedding the change
Aims to enable the uptake of a recently developed nitrogen decision support tool, involving nitrogen budgeting and more soil nitrogen testing to support farm decisions.
Ngāti Tamaoho riparian restoration and planting
A revegetation initiative to protect identified waterways and coastal environments, with a focus on Hingaia wetland and intermittent stream and on Pahurehure inlet.
Ngāti Te Ata nursery and planting
Aims to establish a nursery for whakapapa plants within Ngāti Te Ata's area, undertake restoration planting along fenced waterways, and conduct noxious weed control along Mangawhero stream.
Ngāti Tīpa cultural indicator and monitoring
Cultural indicator development and development of a monitoring tool; training Ngāti Tīpa´s iwi members in the tool; conducting baseline monitoring.
