The 100-year vision for Alexandra Stream

What could Alexandra Stream look like in 100 years? Will birds fill the canopy? Will the water be clear enough to swim in? What could the land look like?

These are the questions that inspired the Alexandra Stream 100-Year Plan. Written by Charmain Bailie and Ariki Wyatt from Uru Whakaaro, who bring a wealth of expertise in ecology, the Alexander Stream Restoration Plan sets out a long-term vision of regeneration.

“The Alexandra Stream Catchment Plan has been a crucial piece to secure. We do not come from an ecological background, and Charmaine and Ariki’s plan will guide our future rewilding planning and regenerative development of the Alexander Catchment using the best possible Matauranga Māori practices,” explains Te Hono’s Project Coordinator Nicky Shave.

Key to this plan is partnership and collaboration. Representatives from iwi, Westminster School, Albany Senior High School, Kristin School, Rangitoto College, Auckland Council, The Landing, Unsworth, UWEN, Mountains to Sea, and Te Hōnonga a Iwi are all involved. This enables all stakeholders along the Alexandra Stream to work cohesively towards regenerating water quality over time.

This vision would not be possible without financial investment, for which we are grateful to Wai Connection, Mountains to Sea, and the Auckland Council, who have invested $10,000 in the Alexander Stream plan.

Central to the future of the Alexandra Stream is revegetation, pest management, monitoring the stream's health, and adopting practices that move beyond restoration towards regeneration. Along the way, the plan also aims to strengthen connections between people and place, reduce the impacts of pollution, and restore ecological balance, resulting in a healthy stream that the community can enjoy.

“This is revolutionary for us as we can plan to source seeds, grow natives, apply for funding and seek new partnerships that will enable Te Hōnonga a Iwi to improve our services to nature, iwi and the community. The plan is available for all three Alexandra Stream restoration groups to use, if they wish to follow it. It will also be available for any new restoration groups to help guide their mahi, enabling synergy across the catchment. The plan is particularly important for our group, as we are building it as we fly it and need to ensure we do no harm to the whenua and awa ecosystems. We sit in the middle of a corridor that houses very special ngāhere at either end of the catchment. ”

While a century may seem like a long time, regeneration is a slow process, and commitments like this ensure we have routines in place to best future-proof our site.

“We are committed to ensuring our impact is positive for the well-established restoration areas where local people have spent more than 2 decades regenerating.”

To find out more information, the Alexandra Stream Catchment Plan is available on our website under ‘Resources’ or at this link: https://www.restoringrosedalepark.org.nz/resources