A restoration project to prevent flooding of a Rūātoki stream is in its second year thanks to the efforts of Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust.

The stream, Paekoau, has been the focus of the trust’s project, carried out with help from volunteers and Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Part of the Tauranga-Whakatāne Rivers Scheme, the stream overflowed its banks during heavy rainfall in late 2022 and early 2023, flooding homes on Ngahina Road.

Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust manages a 380-hectare maize and dairy farm on behalf of 1100 owners and beneficiaries, as well as its wider community.

As the stream was heavily silted and lined with pest plants such as privet and willows, a restoration project for the stream fitted into the trust’s objective to secure a sustainable future for its whenua and people.

Farm manager Hinehou Timutimu said the trust reached out to the regional council, which carried out desilting and contouring of the stream, and cutting back of the pest plants.

In August last year, the trust organised a planting day to plant over 3000 plants provided by the regional council, including tī kōuka (cabbage trees), toetoe, harakeke, mānuka, kanuka and karamu.

Phase two this week will see a further 1500 plantings during a community planting day on Friday, weather permitting.

Ms Timutimu said the planting finished off an area that wasn’t completed last year and another portion downstream.

The trust is also a finalist in this year’s HEG Business Excellence Awards, which will be held on Saturday night at the Whakatāne War Memorial Centre.

The Eastern Bay of Plenty Chamber of Commerce event sees the trust as finalists in four categories, kaitiakitanga, business management and strategy, community organisation, and Pakihi Māori.

“We’re really excited and humbled to be finalists,” Ms Timutimu said.

“Just to be part of it is great. Somebody shoulder tapped us and said we should consider entering. We entered two categories and then when they announced the finalists, we were informed that we had been selected for another two, so we’re finalists in four categories now.

“We’re the only agriculture or dairy entrant.”