Background

Local legend has it that the Wairio Wetland, located on the eastern shores of Lake Wairarapa was once a paradise providing habitat for substantial numbers of waterfowl and waders. The wetland was adversely affected by the Lower Wairarapa Valley Development Scheme (LWVDS) during the 1960/70s which resulted in large areas being drained and cleared of forest and sedges. The block was further affected by the construction of the Parera Road, which separated the block from the adjacent Boggy Pond Wetland. Willow trees planted in the valley for erosion control also invaded the Wairio Wetland. These willows were subsequently cleared and bulldozed into wind-rows running east-to-west across the wetland.

During the 1980s, following a growing awareness of the environmental effects of land development, a planned "polder" scheme to establish dykes and further drain the eastern margins of Lake Wairarapa, including the Wairio Wetland, was abandoned. The Conservation Act of 1987 passed responsibility for "stewardship" of the Wairio Block to the Department of Conservation (DOC). The objective was to hold such land for conservation purposes. In the interim, the block was leased by DOC to Land Corp for periodic pastoral grazing.

During the late 1980s, Ducks Unlimited New Zealand (DU) and DOC personnel attempted to partially reflood the original Wairio Wetland. A channel was dug from Lake Wairarapa on the north-western side of the block and a flood-gate installed. At the southern end, a low earth dam was constructed. It was hoped that flood water from the Lake and surface water would be retained in the wetland but, for a number of reasons, particularly damage to the dam from grazing cattle, these measures failed and both the flood-gate and dam fell into disrepair.

Current Initiative

In 2005 DU and DOC signed an initial 5 year, Land Management Agreement whereby DU would commence, in partnership with DOC, the restoration of the Wairio Wetland.

Thereafter, DOC and DU may agree to an extension of this arrangement to complete further agreed works and handle the ongoing management of the wetland. However, DOC retains the absolute right to determine if the arrangement should be extended, or even to terminate the arrangement at any stage if they are not happy with DU's performance or if DOC's objectives for the Block change in some way.