Skip to main content
Planting our Place

Waiwhakaiho Wildlink Project

The Waiwhakaiho flows through our past and our future - now is the time to restore, reconnect, and care for it together.

Shaping a shared vision

A working group, alongside six hapū and New Plymouth District Council, has come together to shape an initial vision for the future of the Waiwhakaiho.

This work is grounded in partnership and recognises the awa (river) as a taonga. It explores how we can reconnect with it through restoration, recreation, and shared care.

Led by hapū, shaped together

Given the deep cultural significance of the Waiwhakaiho, hapū have led the development of this vision.

Early work has focused on building relationships and aligning aspirations — creating a strong foundation for what comes next.

What happens next

We’ll be working with the wider community to help strengthen the vision and shape the next steps.

Together, we will develop:

  • An implementation plan
  • A business case
  • A long-term pathway for action.

A long-term ecological approach

At its heart, this vision takes an ecological approach — restoring the health of the river, its tributaries, and surrounding landscapes, while connecting people to place.

A key aspiration is long term goal to re-establish a continuous indigenous forest corridor from Taranaki Maunga to the sea, supported by ecological expertise from Professor Bruce Clarkson (University of Waikato).

Photo of mountain with snow on it with Waiwhakaiho River in the foreground

Waiwhakaiho at Alfred Road with view of maunga

An awa-centred vision

This is an awa-centred vision, developed in partnership with tāngata whenua.

It recognises:

  • The needs of the river
  • Our shared responsibility to restore it
  • The importance of long-term care across generations.

Our focus

The vision centres on three key outcomes:

  • Restoration: Rebuilding the ecological health of the Waiwhakaiho through a connected native forest corridor
  • Cultural identity: Strengthening whakapapa, stories, and sense of place, creating spaces of calm, reflection and belonging.
  • Connection: Reconnecting people with the awa through meaningful, lasting relationships with each other and the environment.

This is a living vision - one that will evolve as we learn and grow together.

Restoring the Waiwhakaiho will take time, care, and collective effort over generations, but each step brings us closer to a healthier river and a stronger connection to place.

Project documents 

The draft discussion document was endorsed by Council in 2025. 

Draft Waiwhakaiho Wildlink Discussion Document

Waiwhakaiho Wildlink Project Summary

Page last updated: 08:26am Wed 20 May 2026

Contact us
06 759 6060 enquiries@npdc.govt.nz
Visit us

84 Liardet Street
New Plymouth

Search
Find by A–Z
Navigate
Useful links
Our NPDC family
New Zealand Government logo