Onepū Community Park is thriving

Once an unused piece of land, Onepū Community Park is bustling with native floraand fauna, thanks to hard working community members like Bill Clark.

Onepū Community Park was established in the early 2000s when Onepū resident Bill contacted the local forestry company and encouraged them to create a wetland. The company agreed and, with funding and advice from Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council and support from the community, Onepū Community Park was created.

Since then, Bill has led the charge, taking care of the park with assistance from Onepū locals to replant and control pests in the area.

In 2022, Bill, as president of the Edgecumbe Lions Club, applied for and was granted funding through Regional Council’s Environmental Enhancement Fund. This was to be used by the club for improved wheelchair access in both the wetlands and neighbouring mountain bike park.

Bill says receiving this funding was a key step to making the park accessible for all community members.

“We have a lot of young mums and wheelchair users in our community, who can now visit the park thanks to the funding we received.”
Today, the park has doubled in size and now houses the original wetland, a mountain bike park, and an arboretum. The wetland is flourishing with a huge variety of native species and provides a home to a selection of taonga plants, and rare and endangered native species.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Coastal Catchments Eastern Team Leader Charles Harley says wetlands are incredibly important ecosystems that we need to protect.

“Wetlands not only provide habitats for our endangered flora and fauna, but they also help filter nitrates, sediments and other contaminants out of our waterways, so they have a really important role.

“Regional Council works closely with care groups and people like Bill to ensure these areas can be protected and restored for future generations to enjoy.”

Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF) supports local, grass-roots projects that are committed to protecting the natural or historical attributes of the rohe (region), and providing benefits for all communities to enjoy.

Do you have future-focused environmental project you would like to get funding for? Apply now.