Protecting and restoring wetlands

Many landowners are working to restore and protect the wetlands on their land. Greater Wellington helps landowners with this important work, by offering expert advice on wetland restoration and, in some cases, subsidising the costs.

Benefits of wetland restoration

Wetlands form a critical interface between land and water. No matter what shape or size they are crucial for the health of our environment and ecosystems, are of significant cultural importance for Māori, and provide important habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. They also provide a range of important ‘ecosystem services’ – for example, they help to protect water quality and retain water in the landscape, critical for maintaining base flows in our waterways in times of drought.

Support available to help restore wetlands

If you have a wetland on your property, we offer support to help keep it healthy, and restore it.

We also provide support to landowners who have rivers or streams on their property.

What the funding can cover

Our Wetland Programme can provide funding and support to protect wetlands. This can include:

• Fencing to exclude stock: Fencing is an effective way to prevent stock from entering wetlands, preventing contamination and water quality issues, as well as protecting stock from becoming bogged down.
• Pest plant control: Pest plants can be just as threatening as pest animals. Some species can grow quickly in wetlands, competing against native species for light, nutrients and space.
• Planting: There are many types of native species that can be planted in wetlands. These plants provide important habitat and cover for indigenous species, preventing the reinvasion of pest plants They can also act as a filter, reducing the amount of nutrients and bacteria entering the water through surface runoff. It’s important you get the right plants for your wetland type and environmental conditions.
• Advice: Our team can provide advice on the right indigenous species to plant in your wetland type and area. We can also offer support to identify species that are unsuitable for your wetland type and area and are considered pest plants.

You might need resource consent to plant or remove certain species. For more information get in touch.

• Pest animal control: A range of introduced species have become established in some wetlands, and pose a threat to the native plants and animals present by preying on native animals and eggs and damaging trees.

Protecting waterways on farms

Watch Shane and Eileen Walker talk about restoring a wetland on their retired dairy farm, with help from Greater Wellington and Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki.

Watch David Blackwood talk about protecting the waterway on his farm, with our advice and financial support.

Watch Michael Birch’s story of protecting the waterway on his farm, and how he made use of advice and financial support from Greater Wellington

How to apply

Our programme has criteria to help us focus our funding in places that have the biggest need support. To find out if you're eligible fill out the below form and a member of our team will be in touch.