Help shape the future of Whangateau Harbour and its catchment

Whangateau Harbour is a much-loved taonga, but like many special places, it’s facing growing pressure from land and marine activities, climate change, and population growth.

We now have an opportunity to come together as a community to restore and protect this treasured place, for current and future generations.

Please join us for the first community workshop to help shape a long-term Action Plan for the Whangateau Harbour and Catchment.

🗓 Saturday 17 May
🕚 11:00am – 3:30 pm (arrive from 10:45 am for tea and coffee).
📍 Point Wells Hall

Contribute your knowledge, values, and ideas into a plan that will guide real, on-the-ground action across the entire harbour and catchment.

Whether you’re a landowner, long-time local, new resident, recreational user, kaitiaki, or simply someone who loves this place - your voice matters.

In this workshop we’ll:

Identify our shared values and co-create a clear vision and purpose for the Catchment Action Plan;

Build a collective understanding of the environmental pressures facing the harbour and catchment - now and into the future - and explore opportunities to restore, protect, and build resilience;

Launch a new community Catchment Group to drive the mahi forward and turn ideas into action.

This is the first of 2 - 3 workshops, where we’ll work together to build an impactful plan.

Expert Guidance for the Action Plan

We’re thrilled to welcome the expertise of our Technical Leads for the project:

- Duncan Kervell – specialist in land and catchment management

- Leigh Marine Laboratory, represented by Professor Conrad Pilditch and Professor Simon Thrush – leaders in marine science and ecosystem health.

Together with Katie Owen (Healthy Waters Catchment Coordinator) and Alicia Bullock (Whangateau Catchment Facilitator), the team will work closely with the community to co-develop an effective and meaningful Action Plan.

Bringing science, tech and community together

Saturday 17 May is the first of three workshops to build a long-term Action Plan that treats the harbour and catchment as the connected, living system it is - from hills to harbour and harbour to hills. We will use the latest drone imagery, GIS data, research, expert input, and local knowledge to create a living, interactive digital plan to guide and activate long-term care and build resilience across the Whangateau Harbour and catchment.

This is a truly community-led process and plan — and we’d love you to be part of the team.

If you have any questions please contact Alicia, Whangateau Catchment Facilitator, at whangateaucatchment@gmail.com