Source: NZ Department of Conservation
Date: 19 August 2026 Source: Department of Conservation, Te Rūnunga o Ngāi Tahu, Te Taumatu Rūnunga, Environment Canterbury
Te Taumutu Rūnanga spokesperson Rātangihia Steer says that the co-funding will enable mana whenua to implement a three-year work programme of targeted pest control and monitoring to support the indigenous biodiversity of Muriwai.
“Muriwai is a wāhi taonga of immense significance to Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki. It is an important mahinga kai and is recognised in our traditions as the birthplace of tuna (eels),” she says.
“We really appreciate the support from DOC through the Community Fund. This funding gives us the opportunity to continue the restoration of Muriwai and put sustained effort into the pest control and monitoring needed at the site.
“It also builds on the significant restoration work already undertaken at Waikēkēwai over the past five years and is another step in the wider restoration of our waterways and wetlands,” Rātangihia Steer says.
Department of Conservation Mahaanui Operations Manager Andy Thompson says DOC has worked with Te Taumatu Rūnunga before on restoration projects and know they have the skills, commitment and expertise to deliver great outcomes in this area.
“The aim of the pest control work is to remove the mammal pests so that habitat restoration work, which is not yet funded can be undertaken in the future. Whakaora Te Muriwai o Whata was an ideal project for the DOC Community Fund to support, given the opportunities for community involvement in the restoration activities alongside trained staff and volunteers.
“The lagoon and its wetlands support a high diversity of indigenous bird species, including several that are classified as nationally threatened or at risk. One of these is the critically endangered matuku hūrepo (Australasian bittern). Muriwai also supports a high diversity of wetland plant and the lagoon and its waterways provide habitat for aquatic fauna, including threatened and at-risk freshwater fish species,” Andy Thompson says.
Whakaora Te Muriwai o Whata will be delivered in partnership with the Muriwai o Whata Management Komiti and the Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) under the Whakaora Te Waihora Programme and within a co-governance framework involving Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Environment Canterbury, Christchurch City Council, Selwyn District Council, and the Department of Conservation.
Background information
Muriwai o Whata (Coopers Lagoon) is a spring-fed freshwater lagoon and wetland located near Southbridge in Canterbury’s Selwyn District. The site covers approximately 85 hectares and is hydrologically connected to surrounding springs, drains, and waterways that link to Te Waihora/ Lake Ellesmere.
The loss and degradation of this taonga was included in the Ngāi Tahu claim to the Waitangi Tribunal, which resulted in the bed of Muriwai being vested in Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu through the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.
Contact
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/08/19/runanga-receives-funding-for-community-led-wetland-restoration-project/