Otaki TodayWork at Te Horo Beach was “highly commended” in the Enhancing Communities category at the 2024 Local Government New Zealand conference awards in Wellington on August 23.
Waikanae Community Board deputy chair Michael Moore with the Enhancing Communities category award at the Local Government NZ conference in Wellington.
Photo supplied
The beach had suffered from years of rubbish being dumped, and vehicles damaging the dunes, beach, Mangaone Lagoon and stream. However, Waikanae Community Board member Michael Moore, who lives at the beach, led a community project last year to enhance the environment and reverse the neglect.
Kāpiti Coast District Council biodiversity staff and Greater Wellington’s environmental team provided expert guidance and support. The project began last summer with two large wrap-around murals on the 1960s beachside toilets and changerooms. The Te Horo community contributed ideas for artists Sean Duffell and SwiftMantis. Featured in the artwork were the endangered tūturiwhatu dotterel, native beach crab, pukeko and kingfisher, along with a Te Horo view of Kāpiti and nearby islands.
The murals were complemented with improvements that included a macrocarpa picnic table, outside beach shower, all-weather access path and surrounding rope boundary fence to protect the area from further vehicle damage. The council parks team, the community board, Friends of Te Horo Beach Residents’ Association, Friends of Mangaone Lagoon and the council’s Public Arts Fund were key to the project’s success.
The environmental work was followed by the establishment of Predator Free Te Horo Beach. It is supported by Friends of Te Horo Beach, who have also organised community plantings on the banks of the Mangaone Stream.
The Local Government NZ awards acknowledge environmental work that enhances communities and creates a better understanding of the fragile coastal environment.
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