Water  |  30 May 2023

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Two years of progress on the $50 million Te Kuru Wetlands has been captured in a new timelapse video.

The timelapse from April 2021 to February 2023 taken by contractors Grounds and Services Limited shows a section of Quarry Road Stream in the foreground, with Hoon Hay Basin in the background.

Christchurch City Council Acting Head of Three Waters Brent Smith says the next stage of the 109-hectare network of basins and wetlands is on track to be completed and opened to the public this summer.

“It has taken a huge amount of work from staff, contractors and community volunteers over the last few years to reach this point. It’s been an excellent collaborative effort.”

“We have a few more bridges and walking tracks to put in, and more planting days are scheduled,” says Mr Smith.

The first stage, which includes a carpark off Cashmere Road, was opened to the public in November 2022. When complete, Te Kuru will feature 14km of walking and cycle tracks, as well as around 110,000 trees and 600,000 native plants.

Te Kuru Wetlands has been designed to improve the city’s floodplain and stormwater management. The stormwater facility will be able to hold more than one million cubic metres of flood water in a big rain event, reducing the risk of flooding downstream.

The Cashmere Stream Restoration Project is part of the overarching Te Kuru development. Work on a 2km stretch of Cashmere Stream has been underway since 2021 and is now nearing completion.

“The Cashmere Stream Restoration Project has been a great example of what can be achieved through community collaboration. The Cashmere Stream Care Group and other groups have been instrumental in getting this project across the line,” says Mr Smith.

Cashmere Stream Care Group Chair Ken Rouse says planning is underway for the final community planting day for the project.

“We are hoping to plant 2000 plants on Saturday 24 June from 9.30am – 12.30pm. We encourage everyone to come along and help get the job done.

“We are pleased to see how well the plants have taken off at the nearby Quarry Road Stream. This is a great example of what Cashmere Stream will look like soon as a result of all the efforts over the last few years,” says Mr Rouse.

Learn more about the planting day by following the Cashmere Stream Care Group’s Facebook page.

Timelapse captured at Te Kuru Wetlands from 7 April 2021 – 20 February 2023. Quarry Road Stream is shown in the foreground, just upstream of where it connects to Cashmere Stream.