Papakura Stream
| Papakura Stream | |
|---|---|
 The Papakura Stream at Wattle Downs | |
 Route of the Papakura Stream | |
  Mouth of the Papakura Stream .png)  Papakura Stream (New Zealand) | |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Auckland Region |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Solway Road, Whitford |
| • coordinates | 36°56′47″S 175°00′49″E / 36.94636°S 175.01349°E |
| Mouth | Pahurehure Inlet |
• coordinates | 37°02′43″S 174°54′03″E / 37.04534°S 174.90089°E |
| Length | 63 kilometres |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Papakura Stream → Pahurehure Inlet → Manukau Harbour |
The Papakura Stream, also known as the Papakura Creek, is a major stream in South Auckland, in the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows south-west from near the Brookby to the Pahurehure Inlet of the Manukau Harbour. The stream forms the border between Manurewa and Papakura.
Description[edit]
The stream begins in the Whitford Forest north of Brookby township, flowing south-west through farmland of the Brookby Valley, and through the suburbs of Alfriston, Randwick Park, Takanini and Manurewa. The stream reaches the Pahurehure Inlet of the Manukau Harbour, flowing past Wattle Downs to the west and Waiata Shores to the east.[1][2] The stream is approximately 63 kilometres long, with a catchment of approximately 4,100 hectares.[2]
Biodiversity[edit]
The stream is a known habitat for koura (native freshwater crayfish).[3]
History[edit]
The stream is in the traditional rohe of Waiohua, including Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and Te Ākitai Waiohua, as well as Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki. The stream was used as a source for freshwater resources, including koura and eels.[4] By the early colonial era, the catchment of the stream was used by European settlers and Māori to harvest timber and flax.[2] During European settlement, the stream was highly modified for agriculture.[2]
The stream was used by the Lactos Ltd factory in the 1930s as a source of water, and from 1949, the East Tamaki Co-operative Dairy Company constructed a milk powder factory on the east side of stream in Takanini. The stream would regularly flood in the 1950s, causing problems for the factory.[5]
The Papakura Stream formed the border between Manukau City and the Papakura District from 1989 to 2010.[2]
By the late 2010s, the stream had become one of the more polluted waterways in the Auckland Region. A major volunteer regeneration project for the stream began in 2021, with an estimated 11,000 native trees planted along the stream's banks in the first year.[6]
Amenities[edit]
The stream has two shared paths as it reaches the Manukau Harbour: the Wattle Downs South Path on the western banks,[7][8] and the Waiata Shores Shared Path, on the southeastern banks further upstream. A footbridge has been proposed to link Wattle Downs to Waiata Shores.[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Papakura Stream". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Bull, L.S.; Sides, E.; Lewis, M.; Wilson-Zandvoort, K.; Stephenson, T.; Ruffell, J.; Steer, J.; de Luca, S.; Slaven, D. (October 2008). Papakura Stream Assessment and Management Study (PDF). Boffa Miskell Limited (Report). Auckland Regional Council. ISBN 978-1-877483-55-4. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Auckland Council District Plan Operative Manukau Section 2002: Plan amendment 76 - NOR for Mill Road - Volume 2 - Appendix V (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua (December 2012). Redoubt Road – Mill Road Corridor Project Maori Values Assessment for Auckland Transport (PDF) (Report). Auckland Transport. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Wichman, Gwen (2001). Soaring Bird: a History of Manurewa to 1965. Manurewa: Manurewa Historical Society. p. 24. ISBN 0-473-07114-2. Wikidata Q117421984.
- ^ Blewett, Carmina (27 May 2021). "Volunteers descend on Papakura Stream for major clean-up". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ Easther, Elisabeth (8 February 2015). "Auckland: Seven secret cycleways". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Wattle Downs South Path". Auckland Council. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Bridging communities across the Papakura Stream". Bike Auckland. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2021.