Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Photo credit: Sam Barrow
A mountain of mahi has helped transform 500 hectares of land that was bought with the help of crowdfunding, into a public conservation park.
Between October 2020 and May 2021, more than $900,000 was raised to help the Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust purchase the block between Christchurch’s two highest peaks – Mt Herbert/Te Ahu Pātiki and Mt Bradley. More than 3,000 individuals and organisations contributed to the purchase.
The land has since been transferred to the Te Ahu Pātiki Charitable Trust, which was set up by the Rod Donald Banks Peninsula Trust in conjunction with its partners; Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Inc, Orton Bradley Park and Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata. The new Trust’s core purpose is to protect the land, restore native biodiversity, enable non-motorised vehicle access and support mana whenua values.
The park is now protected in perpetuity by a QEII covenant and it’s hoped that in decades, native forest will once again cloak these iconic hills.
A taonga/treasure
Te Ahu Pātiki (which is also the project name) is wāhi taonga, a place of importance and ancestral significance to mana whenua – both Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke and Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata.
The Trust’s co-chair, Roy Tikao (Ngāti Wheke), says the project aligns perfectly with key taiao pou within each Rūnanga.
“It’s about ensuring that the natural environment is maintained and enhanced, guided by our values of mahinga kai, ki uta ki tai – from mountains to sea, the umbilical cord between Papatūānuku/the land, and Tangaroa/the sea.”
Weed control is a key priority
Our organisation is among many that have helped Te Ahu Pātiki get to this point.
In October 2022, biodiversity and biosecurity advisor Will Todhunter assisted a team of experts with an ecological survey of the area to provide an initial ‘stocktake’ of the species present, including those that aren’t wanted.
The survey showed that weed control needed to be a top priority – with Spanish heath a key target. Will has been project-managing that aspect, after initial input from environmental consultants Boffa Miskell.
“Spanish heath displaces native vegetation and alters habitat for native fauna” he explains.
“This land contains the biggest, and one of only two, large, infestations of this species on Banks Peninsula. Before the ecological survey, we didn’t even know it existed here.”
Will Todhunter and Jaz Morris surveying shrublands below volcanic rock bluffs on Mt Bradley – Photo credit: Melissa Hutchison
Helicopters have been the main tool to control the pest shrub. Boffa Miskell has provided maps, methodology advice and monitoring of the spraying success. Their input has been partly in-kind (pro-bono) and also funded through us and Whaka-Ora Healthy Harbour.
Will says the overarching aim is to support nature to restore itself, keeping human interventions to a minimum.
“On once-forested areas like Banks Peninsula, gorse can speed up the succession of native forest species.
“The biggest limiter of naturally regenerating native forest species is thick swards of exotic grass. Gorse shades out and kills these swards, allowing shade-tolerant native seedlings to grow under a gorse canopy. These native seedlings eventually overtop the gorse and shade it out, and a forest can form once again.”
Alongside weed control, a pest trapping network has been set up to help boost bird numbers and control browsing mammals (herbivores that eat mainly non-grasses).
Freshwater survey an important step
The next big piece of work on the to-do list – assuming funding can be secured – is a freshwater survey.
The Trust’s Kaituitui (Coordinator), Sarah Anderson, says there’s been no consistent look at the area’s freshwater catchment since stock was removed.
“We need a baseline of the state of the waterways, so we can measure changes throughout the programme. We want to take the survey all the way down to Charteris Bay and cover the whole area over a three-year period. It’s the same approach with things like pest control – we happen to have 500 hectares, but our work is part of a much bigger picture.”
Surveys of native fish and whitebait spawning are also planned for summer and autumn in Te Wharau stream – one of the largest that flow into Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour. This will add to the undertanding of the stream’s ecological health. It’s expected the survey will reveal a diverse range of native species including banded kōkopu, tuna/eels, panoko/torrentfish and redfin bully.
It’s hoped that as vegetation re-establishes along riparian (waterside) zones, the amount of nutrients and sediments entering waterways and Whakaraupō will decrease.
Sarah says there are already signs of improvement as new undergrowth emerges – including mataī seedlings.
“We’ve heard anecdotally that during big rainfall events, there is now less water pouring down through the valley, suggesting that the increased vegetation could be slowing down the waterflow. Grass growth since the de-stocking could also be taking some of the water.”
Collaboration is key to success
Collaboration is at the heart of the project’s success, with Sarah pointing to Will as an example of the benefits of having multiple agencies on board.
“Having that continuity of contact and expertise is invaluable to us as a Trust. Will is up there physically in the spaces we’re working on – looking, observing and giving us information and advice.”
For Will, it’s a dream project to be involved with.
“One of the best things about it is that we have a plan to make it successful and evidence that this approach works – it’s not just fighting a losing battle. It’s really about managing the weeds and pests, then letting nature do its thing.”
Roy Tikao agrees that being able to draw on various talent pools of expertise – from mana whenua, ecologists, scientists and organisations – is invaluable.
“Me mihi ka tika ki kā tini kaihoe o tō tātau waka – I acknowledge all of the collective paddlers in our waka. Ki te hoe”
For more information about Te Ahu Pātiki, or to donate to the project, visit
