1. Porirua Harbour Trust

2. Background
The Porirua Harbour and Catchment Community Trust was formally established on the 11th March 2011.
The need for the trust was identified in the initial Pauatahanui Inlet Community Trust (PICT) Action Plan in 2000 and significant work was then carried out by Porirua City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Wellington City Council and Ngati Toa Rangatira
As a result the parties recognized the value of having an independent advocate for the Porirua Harbour and its catchment and the Porirua Harbour and Catchment Community Trust was formed.

3. Our Role
To promote the sustainable management of the Porirua Harbour and its catchment by:
Advocating for sustainable management
Fostering understanding of ecological and environmental issues
Coordinating input from community groups
Supporting, promoting and contributing to programmes and projects aimed to improve the harbour and catchments.

4. So what is our Catchment
The area where natural drainage of water occurs through a water course to the sea.
The Porirua Harbour has three main catchments
Pauatahanui Inlet (470ha)
Onepoto Arm (240ha)
Harbour Entrance

5. Pauatahanui Inlet Includes: Kakaho Stream Horokiri Stream
Pauatahanui Stream
Duck Creek

6. Onepoto Arm Includes: Kenepuru Stream Titahi Bay catchment
Takapuwahai Stream
Porirua Stream
Mitchell Stream
Stebbings Stream
Takapu Stream

7. Taupo Swamp Catchment Includes:
The streams from Pukerua Bay that flow through Taupo Swamp and flow into the Outer Harbour.
The run-off from farmland in the area

8. The Lagoons
Okowai lagoon
Aotea Lagoon
Papakowhai Lagoon

9. The Lakes
Aotea Lake
NZ Police College Lake
Whitby Lake

10. Some Facts
The Harbour is the largest estuarine harbour in the lower North Island and is the main nursery for over 30 different fish species.
It is the only one with any significant sea grass cover and also includes significant wetlands.
The population in the catchment includes about from Porirua City and a further from Wellington City.

11. The Big Three Issues Sediment Pollution Ecology
All estuaries accumulate sediment over time. The two broad sources are terrestrial from erosion of rural land, streambanks and development.
Pollution
Heavy metals, pesticides, excess nutrients, vehicle emissions and pathogens all find there way into the harbour.
Ecology
Modification to harbour and stream edges and impacts on offshore and near shore fisheries. Seagrass habitat is slowly reducing as are the salt marshes.

12. Our PHT Action Plan The Trust will integrate four strategies of
advocacy,
education,
communication and
facilitation
to deliver a work-plan that reflects the skills, interests and experience of Trustees and the objectives of the Trust.
The work-plan must be realistic and achievable, and make a significant contribution to the Porirua Harbour Strategy.

13. Advocacy
Trustees are building our own knowledge of the harbour and catchment issues
We have created an “annual scorecard” for the harbour and each of the catchments to show how well local bodies have delivered against the strategy.
taking opportunities to promote our priorities for the Harbour,
Being a “watchdog” organisation to monitor delivery of the Harbour Strategy.
How - attending public meetings and consultations, regular contact with officials, participating in consultation processes eg writing submissions.

14. Communication
promoting issues and events about the Harbour to a range of audiences,
raising awareness with a view to encourage participation by members of the public and interest groups,
helping to keep people informed on issues and developments, promoting the efforts of others.
How – through our website, e-newsletters, presentations to groups, media releases

15. Education
We have produced an on-line teaching resource for teachers in the catchment based on the Living Waters DVD documentaries.
We have produced a documentary in the Samoan language on issues for the harbour and catchment.
Our education coordinator runs teacher workshops and is available to assist schools across the catchment in the use of the education resource
How - Living Waters resource for schools, participate in Harbour Education network

16. Facilitation
Bringing people together in the interest of Harbour recovery, being an independent voice, enabling people to participate in action.
Regular clean-ups of the harbour, currently concentrating on the Porirua Stream mouth and Onepoto Arm
Extending into the stream catchments and lagoons with other groups
Re-vegetation planting programmes in estuarine areas
Drains to stream plaques
Recreational access to the harbour and catchments

17. Current Trustees Grant Baker (Chair)
Peter Gilberd(WCC); Jenny Brash (GWRC); Vacant (Ngati Toa); Anita Baker (PCC).
Ray Baker-Underhill, Rex Brady, Lindsay Gow, Daryl Hayes, Mark Neeson, Donna Sherlock, Larissa Toelupe, Kylie Wihapi.
Peter Sherwin, Christine Stanley.

18. Other relevant links
For more information go to the Porirua Harbour Trust website
Or our facebook page