Ōtāhuhu / Mt Richmond is one of fourteen Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains) managed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority following their return to Mana Whenua, iwi, and hapū of Tāmaki Makaurau in 2014.
As a result of February floods and Cyclone Gabrielle there has been damage to trees on the Maunga. This includes the large tree that fell onto the playground and several trees that have had damage making them unsafe to the public.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority has been undertaking a vegetation restoration programme for several years on Ōtahuhu / Mt Richmond. This included the removal of olive trees from an old quarry face of the Maunga and planting a retired football field. Approximately 19,000 native plants have already been planted on Ōtahuhu with more to come.
In November 2022, the Authority undertook a public notification process to consult on amending the Tūpuna Maunga Integrated Management Plan (IMP). Specifically, the amendment details the ecological restoration plans for the Tūpuna Maunga include the details of the current project on Ōtāhuhu. This included the minimum number of natives to be planted on the Maunga and the maximum number of non-native trees to be removed.
The amendment to the IMP also confirms that a selection of representative mature, healthy, and significant non-native trees will be retained. The Authority is tasked with protecting and restoring the Maunga, and this month we begin the next phase of a vegetation restoration programme. The aim is to restore the original ecology of the Maunga through removing some of the non-native tree species and regenerating native plant life and habitat for native wildlife.
Due to health and safety requirements and in line with the restoration vegetation outlined in the IMP up to 60 trees in will be removed in July 2023. This includes unsafe trees and species listed on the Regional Pest Management Plan. No existing native trees will be removed. Several species of non-native trees will also be retained as part of this project. The number of trees to be removed includes about 30 Camelia bushes. This work will also enable future work to take place, such as new tracks and sports field.
The work recognises that Ōtāhūhu / Mt Richmond is a wāhi tapu – a site of immense cultural and spiritual significance to Mana Whenua. It was a prominent Māori pā (fortified settlement) and remnants of pā terraces and midden still exist here. Future Tree removals will occur at a later stage.
The Authority conducted a maildrop on Thursday 13 July 2023 to inform residents about the works that are beginning with works beginning on Monday 24 July 2023. Affected stakeholders were also informed on 13 July via email. For visitor safety, the parts of the Maunga where workers are operating will be closed to the public. Signage will be at entrance points explaining the restoration work and the temporary closures.
Since the 2020 winter planting season, approximately 19,000 native plants have already been planted on Ōtāhuhu. The planting aims to restore a wetland ecosystem and Pūriri forest ecosystem (WF7) back on the Maunga including a diverse mix of native species. The plantings are attributed to the efforts of the community who’ve supported the restoration of these ecosystem types back to the Maunga through schools and community planting events.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority has already planted over 130,000 native plants across the Tūpuna Maunga network. Approximately 53,000 new native plantings are planned across the Maunga network this year.