Greater Wellington

There are less than 3% of wetlands remaining in the Wellington Region.

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 provide a range of important ‘ecosystem services’ – for example, they help to improve water quality and retain water in the landscape, critical for maintaining base flows in our waterways in times of drought and reducing the impacts of flooding.

Although we have lost many of our wetlands, examples of these valuable ecosystems can still be found in the Wellington region. In 2020 Wairarapa Moana was certified as a Wetland of International Importance by the Ramsar Wetland Convention. This beautiful wetland complex is the only Ramsar-certified wetland in the region, and only the seventh in the country.

With so few of these unique habitats remaining it is important that we take care with the activities we carry out in wetland areas and that we work together to protect and, where possible, restore our wetlands.

Wetlands at Queen Elizabeth Park

Identifying a wetland

To protect wetlands, we need to be able to identify them.

If you discover a wet, soggy, or spongy patch on your land, it could be a wetland.

Wetlands are found wherever the water table is close to the soil surface, or in areas prone to flooding. They can be areas where ponding occurs and remains, and where springs emerge.

Wetlands can be adversely affected by activities taking place within or adjacent to them. For this reason, there are a range of national and regional policies, regulations and rules that provide direction and restrictions on what can and can’t be done in and around a wetland.

If you have a wetland on your property, you have an important role in the protection of this valuable resource.

If you think you may have a wetland on your property, contact us at environment.restoration@gw.govt.nz.

Is having a wetland on my property a good thing?

If you think you have a wetland on your land, then that’s great for the environment and your community! Wetlands help to maintain water quality, reduce the impacts of flooding and drought, and some can lock up carbon which is important to help fight climate change.

Wetlands provide important habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals and are of significant cultural importance for Māori.

Some work may need to be done to help protect your wetland. You might qualify for funding and support from the Greater Wellington to carry out fencing, restoration planting, or pest control. Find out more about funding.

What work is Greater Wellington doing to protect and restore wetlands?

Greater Wellington works to protect and restore wetlands throughout the region through several plans and programmes, including the Wetlands Programme. Some wetlands are managed and restored through our Key Native Ecosystem (KNE) programme.

We also protect wetlands by identifying and mapping them in our Natural Resources Plan in Schedules A3 (Wetlands with outstanding indigenous biodiversity values) and F3 (Identified natural wetlands). Scheduled wetlands are subject to policies and rules in the plan.

What services are available to help me if I think I have a wetland?

Depending on your circumstances, our services can include:

An ecologist, trained employee, or recommended external specialist may be able to carry out wetland delineation to identify a wetland and define its boundaries.
A biodiversity expert can work with you and provide support to help manage and restore your wetland.

This guide can help identify a wetland. (PDF 9.5 MB)

For more information about funding and support to help you restore a wetland on your property, visit our wetland restoration funding and support page.

What rules and regulations apply to wetlands?

To protect our wetlands, it’s important to comply with the rules and regulations. You may require a resource consent to carry out activities in and around wetlands.

These activities include:

Earthworks
Planting
Building of structures
Discharges and water takes

Wetlands are governed by national and regional regulations, including the Resource Management Act (RMA), the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-FW), and the Natural Resources Plan (NRP) for the Wellington Region.

If you have any questions surrounding rules and regulations for wetlands, please contact the Greater Wellington Regulation team at notifications@gw.govt.nz.

Where can I visit wetlands in the Wellington region?

There are number of publicly accessible wetlands you visit in across the Wellington Region, from short loop walks to major wetland complexes.

Te Ara o Tipapa (Wetland Loop) – Situated in Queen Elizabeth Park this is an easy walk through a restored wetland and remnant forest, home to giant kahikatea trees.
Wairarapa Moana Wetlands – Visit this internationally significant Ramsar wetland for bird watching, walking, riding and camping.
Belmont Wetland – Located just off the Hutt River Trail, this manmade wetland is designed to reduce flood risk, purify water, and increase biodiversity. Find it just south of Kennedy Good Bridge.
The Restoration Trail – Battle Hill Farm Forest Park - Enjoy a short leisurely stroll through regenerating wetlands and farmland.
Parangarahu Lakes – East Harbour Regional Park – The Valley View Loop/Kohangatera track is a medium-grade walk that skirts the shores of Lake Kohangatera and Gollans Wetland.

Check out our calendar to see how you can get involved with our wetlands work in the region.

Updated November 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM

Get in touch

Phone:: 0800496734
Email:: info@gw.govt.nz