Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is backing the biggest step in a generation to restore the Hauraki Gulf / te Pātaka kai a Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-ā-Toi, with up to $26 million in new public and private investment to bring life back to the water, create jobs, and strengthen connections between people and place, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.
“The Hauraki Gulf is one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s great taonga. For too long, it’s been under pressure from pollution, sediment, and overuse. We’re taking practical steps to rejuvenate it, for our children, our kaimoana, and our communities. It supports tourism, hospitality, fishing, and recreation. When the Gulf is healthy, so are our people and our economy.” Mr Potaka says.
The investment supports the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act, which establishes 19 new protected areas, places where reefs, kelp forests, and marine life can recover, while people continue to enjoy time on the moana.
The Government is investing $6 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) to upgrade infrastructure on Hauraki Gulf islands including Rangitoto, Tiritiri Matangi, and Kawau.
“These islands welcome more than 150,000 visitors each year,” Mr Potaka says.
“Safer wharves, better walking tracks, and improved water systems will make it easier for families, schools, and tour operators to enjoy these special places, and ensure visitors leave them better than they found them.
A healthy Gulf supports jobs in tourism, hospitality, and recreation, and provides kaimoana that sustains communities across Tāmaki Makaurau, Mahurangi and the Coromandel.
In addition, a major philanthropic programme led by the NEXT Foundation will invest up to $20 million over the next five years in reef restoration, the largest effort of its kind in the Gulf’s history.
“Divers and local experts will clear urchins from damaged reefs, giving kelp a chance to regrow, and creating underwater forests that bring back fish, crayfish, and shellfish,” Mr Potaka says.
“Within a couple of years, those reefs will be teeming with life again, real results for our moana and for the people who depend on it.”
The first $2 million from the NEXT Foundation will support pilot projects around Te Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island, the Noises, and a research programme at Motutapu, in partnership with mana whenua, the University of Auckland, and the Department of Conservation.
This builds on substantial private investment in recent years from mana whenua and local organisations into seeding millions of shellfish in the Gulf.
“This Act and the investment behind it are about kaitiakitanga in action, looking after our environment so it can look after us,” Mr Potaka says.
“I want to acknowledge the generosity of Neal and Annette Plowman and the NEXT Foundation for their leadership, and the partnership of mana whenua, conservationists, philanthropists and community groups across the Gulf.”
“The Gulf adds over $5 billion of value to the country every year – it makes sense to invest here.”
“In the last two years, our Government has channelled $8.5 million of IVL funding into infrastructure at Hauraki Gulf tourism hot spots, such as Cathedral Cove and Goat Island/Te Hāwere-a-Maki marine reserve. A further $1.5 million in IVL has gone towards a weed control programme across pest-free Gulf islands, supporting forest and sea birds that make these islands home.”
IVL funding is in addition to $10.5 million in DOC operational funding over four years to establish these new marine protected areas.
“When the Gulf thrives, our people thrive, it’s that simple.”
Notes to Editors:
- The Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025 establishes 12 new high protection areas, five seafloor protection areas, and two extended marine reserve areas the largest expansion of marine protection in over a decade.
- The NEXT Foundation will invest $2 million into pilot projects, and work with further philanthropic partners to invest up to $20 million over five years in reef restoration.
- The Government will invest $6 million over two years through the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to improve tourism infrastructure across Gulf islands.
- Reef restoration involves removing urchins from barren reefs to allow kelp forests to regenerate, improving biodiversity and fish stocks.
- Tekau mā rua ngā wāhi haumaru hou ka whakatūria e te Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act 2025, e rima ngā wāhi haumaru i te papamoana, e rua hoki ngā wāhi taiāpure kua whakaroangia, ā, ko tēnei whakaroanga o te whakahaumaru ā-tai te mea nui rawa i te tekau tau kua pahure.
- E rua miriona tāra te nui o te pūtea ka hoatu e te Next Foundation ki ngā kaupapa tōmua, ka mahi ngātahi rātou ki ngā hoa haere tukuoha kia taea ai e rātou te haumi te 20 miriona tāra i ngā tau e 5 hei tāmata i te pūkawa.
- Ka tukua atu e te Kāwanatanga te 6 miriona tāra i ngā tau e rua mā te International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy hei whakapari ake i te tūāhanga tāpoi i ngā motu o Tīkapa Moana.
- Ko tētahi āhuatanga o te tāmata pūkawa ko te tango i ngā kina i ngā pūkawa hahore kia taea ai e ngā ngahere rimurapa te tupu mai anō, mā tērā ka pai ake ai te rerenga rauropi me te nui o ngā ika.
He haumarutanga hou he pūtea hou mō Hauraki
E tautoko ana te Kāwanatanga i te whanaketanga nui rawa atu o tēnei reanga ki te tāmata i te pātaka kai o Tīkapa Moana, o Te Moananui o Toi, mā roto i te haumi hou, ka piki ki te 26 miriona te rahi, e ahu mai ana i te kete tūmatanui me te kete tūmataiti, hei whakahoki mai i te ora ki te wai, hei waihanga mahi, hei whakapakari hoki i ngā hononga kei waenga i te tangata me te wāhi nei, hei tā Tama Potaka, te Minita Whāomoomo.
“Ko Tīkapa Moana tētahi o ngā taonga nui rawa o Aotearoa nei. Kua roa te wā e tāmia ana tēnei moana e te parahanga, e te parakiwai, e te kaha whakamahinga hoki a te tangata. Tēnei mātou e hīkoi ana i te kōrero ki te whakahaumanu i tēnei moana, mō ā tātou tamariki, ā tātou kai moana, me ō tātou hapori te take. Ka āwhina te moana i te tāpoi, te ahumahi manaaki, te hī ika, me ngā mahi ā-rēhia. Mēnā ka ora a Tīkapa Moana, ka ora te tangata, ka ora hoki te ōhanga,” te kī a Potaka.
Ka tautoko te haumi nei i te Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act, ko tā tēnei pire he whakatū i ētahi wāhi haumaru hou, 19 te nui, arā ko ēnei nā he wāhi e haumanutia ai ngā pūkawa, ngā ngahere rimurapa, me ngā kararehe reremoana, me te whakangahau tonu a ngā tāngata ki roto i te moana.
E haumi ana te Kāwanatanga i te 6 miriona tāra nō te International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (te IVL) hei whakahou i te tūāhanga o ngā motu ki Tīkapa Moana, tae ana ki Rangitoto, ki Tiritiri Matangi, ki Kawau hoki.
“Ka nui ake i te 150,000 mano ngā manuhiri ka pōwhiritia ki ēnei motu i ia tau,” hei tā Potaka.
“Mā te whakahaumaru i ngā wāpu, te whakapai ake i ngā ara hikoi, me te whakapakari i ngā pūnaha wai, ka māmā ake te toronga mai a ngā whānau, ngā kura, me ngā kaiwhakahaere tāpoi ki ēnei wāhi, ā ka āwhinatia hoki ngā manuhiri ki te whakapai ake i te wāhi nei, arā kia kaua e paru ake te wāhi i te wā e haere mai ai rātou.
“Mēnā ka ora a Tīkapa Moana, ka tautokona ngā tūranga mahi i te tāpoi, te ahumahi manaaki, me te mahi ā-rēhia, ā ka ora hoki te kai moana e whāngai nei i ngā hapori huri noa i Tāmaki Makaurau, Mahurangi, me te Tara o te Ika a Māui.
“Hei tāpiri, ka haumi tētahi kaupapa tukuoha nui rawa e arahina ana e te Next Foundation i ētahi pūtea, ka piki ake ki te 20 miriona tāra te rahi, i ngā tau e rīma e tū mai nei hei tāmata i te pūkawa, ā ko tēnei momo mahi te mea nui rawa atu i te hītori katoa o Tīkapa Moana.
“Ka tārake ngā kairuku me ngā mātanga ā-hapori i ngā kina mai i ngā pūkawa e kino ana te āhua, mā tērā ka āwhinatia te rimurapa ki te tupu anō, ka whakatupuria hoki ngā ngahere o raro i te wai e waihape mai ai te ika, te kōura, me te mātaitai,” ko tā Potaka.
“Hei ngā rangi tata nei, ka makuru anō ngā pūkawa ki te koiora, he hua whaikiko tērā mō te moana me ngā tāngata e whakawhirinaki ana ki a ia.”
Ka tautokona e te rua miriona tāra tuatahi a te Next Foundation ngā kaupapa tōmua ki te takiwā o Te Hauturu-o-Toi, ki ngā Noises, me tētahi kaupapa rangahau ki Motutapu, he mahi rangapū ēnei ki te taha o te mana whenua, te whare wānanga o Waipapa Taumata Rau, me Te Papa Atawhai.
Ka whanake ake tēnei mahi i te pūtea tūmataiti nui rawa nō ngā tau tata nei i tukua ai e te mana whenua me ngā kaupapa ā-hapori hei whakatupu i te tini ngerongero o ngā mātaitai ki Tīkapa Moana.
“Ko tā tēnei Pire me te pūtea kei roto he whakatinana i te kaitiakitanga, arā ko te tiaki i te taiao māna anō tātou e tiaki,” hei tā Potaka.
“E hiahia ana te ngākau ki te tuku mihi ki te ngākau oha o Neal rāua ko Annette Plowman, otirā ki te Next Foundation i tā rātou ārahitanga, ka mihia hoki te mahi ngātahi ki ngā mana whenua, ngā kaiwhāomoomo, ngā ringaoha me ngā rōpū ā-hapori huri noa i Tīkapa Moana.”
“Ka tāpiritia e Tīkapa Moana he 5 piriona tāra, ā-uara nei, ki te motu whānui i ia tau – nā reira e tika ana kia haumi i konei.”
“I ngā tau e rua kua hori, 8.5 miriona tāra te nui o te pūtea o IVL i tukua atu rā e te Kāwanatanga ki te tūāhanga ki ngā wāhi tāpoi ki Tīkapa Moana, pērā i Mautohe me te taiāpure ki Te Hāwere-a-Maki. Ka mutu, 1.5 miriona tāra te nui o te pūtea o IVL i hoatu rā ki tētahi kaupapa ngaki i ngā motu kīrearea-kore i Tīkapa Moana, hei manaaki i ngā manu o uta me ngā manu o tai e noho ana ki ēnei motu.”
He tāpiritanga te pūtea o IVL ki te 10.5 miriona tāra o te pūtea paheko o Te Papa Atawhai i whakatakotoria rā hei whakatū ake i ēnei wāhi haumaru hou ki tai i ngā tau e whā e tū mai nei.
“Ka ora a Tīkapa Moana, ka ora hoki te tangata, māmā noa iho.”
