Te Ara Awataha—Water NZ Environmental Sustainability Project Award.
Te Ara Awataha—Water NZ Environmental Sustainability Project Award.
Te Ara Awataha received the Water NZ Environmental Sustainability Project Award yesterday, in recognition of its remarkable efforts in promoting sustainability. This 1.5km green corridor, situated at the heart of the newly developed Northcote town centre and residential area, serves as a means for local residents to connect with one another, while also linking Northcote’s existing parks and open spaces.
The project employs an integrated and ecologically conscious approach to infrastructure, working in harmony with natural systems to manage stormwater. It includes a sports field that functions as a large stormwater detention pond during flood events. Under typical circumstances, the wetland vegetation enhances and purifies water quality before allowing stormwater to flow downstream. The planted terraces effectively filter out sediment and other pollutants by detaining the initial surge of runoff, which typically carries the highest pollutant concentration. This improved water quality not only benefits the environment but also creates a valuable habitat for birds, insects, and aquatic life, thus reconnecting the community with this previously overlooked environmental treasure.
The collaboration behind this project involved Eke Panuku and Kāinga Ora, with close coordination between Isthmus landscape architects, WSP’s engineers, Auckland Council’s Healthy Waters team, mana whenua, and the Kaipātiki Local Board.