A new wetland has been created in the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor (OARC), providing a habitat for native fish and birds while restoring part of the river’s natural floodplain.
The wetland, located north of Pages Road Bridge at Waitaki Street, was formed after the Christchurch City Council removed sheet metal pilings, allowing tidal river waters to flow into the area.
The result is a two-hectare tidal wetland, designed to improve flood resilience and create a rich ecosystem for native plants and animals.
Residential Red Zone Manager Dave Little said the project restores part of the river’s natural function, helping to absorb tidal movement and floodwaters while easing pressure on the main river channel.
“The river can now flow into low-lying areas, which helps to restore some of the river’s natural floodplain function,” Little said.
Rather than planting vegetation, the wetland has been left to re-establish naturally, an approach Little says is more cost-effective and creates a more resilient ecosystem.
“The salty water will kill off the exotic grasses that don’t like salt and drop off native seeds that will establish in conditions that suit them, without having to worry about competition from exotics.”
Previous successful saline wetland restorations in Christchurch include sites at Tunnel Road and Charlesworth Reserve.
Little said the wetland is part of the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor Regeneration Plan, which aims to restore the river’s delta environment. The Council is working closely with Treaty partner Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri on the project.
“The ‘living on a river delta’ philosophy sees us working with the river, rather than attempting to constrain it to accommodate our plans,” he said. “This is important as the future impacts of sea level rise and extreme weather make inundation of low-lying areas more likely, and increasingly expensive to prevent.”
This is the first wetland in the corridor to be opened to the river, with a second under construction at Avon Park, set to be completed mid-year.
Over time, the Council plans to develop ten wetlands in the area, ranging in size from two hectares to approximately 60 hectares.
