Wetland restoration project begins

BUSY: Anaru Te Rangi, 6, about to plant his third tree.

Members of the Carterton Community got together in a mud-soaked paddock on Daleton Farm to kick off a new council wetland project on Thursday.

Around 50 volunteers from Carterton School and the Mangatarere Restoration Society as well as members of the Carterton District Council and the wider community worked together to dig holes and plant native wetland trees and plants in the 2.4 hectare plot.

This marked the beginning of a five-year project by the Carterton District Council, and the Mangatarere Restoration Society, to plant a young wetland forest in an effort to restore the site to its original state and raise awareness of the council's wastewater and irrigation systems. Daleton Farm receives treated wastewater as irrigation.

Last summer about 150 million litres that otherwise would have gone into the Mangatarere Stream was instead irrigated onto the farmland.

Sustainable Wairarapa convenor Don Bell said they were aiming for "a young forest which is going to be very similar to the forest that used to be here".

It was hoped the end result would also educate the community about natural environments and wastewater processes.

"It's a community initiative," said Carterton Mayor John Booth. "The idea is to involve different parts of the community, of all age groups, to create something practical that they can all be proud of."