Taranaki Whānui place rāhui on Wellington Harbour
Taranaki Whānui have placed a rāhui on swimming in the harbour this afternoon following a major wastewater discharge into the Wellington Harbour.
The discharge is the result of a collapse in a tunnel that is part of the wastewater network in the CBD area. The wastewater is entering the harbour near the dive platform, and Whairepo lagoon near Te Papa.
Wellington Water has mobilised all our temporary systems to contain the wastewater but they will not be enough. Regrettably wastewater will enter the harbour at Frank Kitts Park/Taranaki Dive Platform by our emergency overflow point.
At this stage it is unknown how long this will last for, or the volumes of wastewater that will be discharged. We are working to try to divert the flows through other parts of the network.
We have staff currently out working with residents and businesses to advise how they can help by conserving water to reduce wastewater flows.
We are working with stakeholders and will be providing regular updates to ensure that they are able to keep the public informed.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Have you got New Zealand's best shed? Show us and win!
Once again, Resene and NZ Gardener are on the hunt for New Zealand’s best shed! Send in the photos and the stories behind your man caves, she sheds, clever upcycled spaces, potty potting sheds and colourful chicken coops. The Resene Shed of the Year 2026 winner receives $1000 Resene ColorShop voucher, a $908 large Vegepod Starter Pack and a one-year subscription to NZ Gardener. To enter, tell us in writing (no more than 500 words) why your garden shed is New Zealand’s best, and send up to five high-quality photos by email to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz. Entries close February 23, 2026.
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
Loading…
