Westland Wetland Acquired as a Reserve

Forest and Bird, Issue 314, 1 November 2004, Page 4

Westland Wetland Acquired as a Reserve

tidal wetland at Westport in Westland has been preserved as a scenic reserve. The wetland lies on the edge of the Orowaiti Estuary which forms the western edge of the town. The area has high landscape and scenic values, and is used for such recreational pursuits as boating, walking and birdwatching. From a wildlife point of view, it protects an area where flounder and mullet breed, and is also the spawning grounds for whitebait which inhabit the Orowaiti River. The combination of saltmarsh with mudflats and sand flats provides a home for

birds as varied as white heron/kotuku, banded dotterel and various terns, as well as migratory birds from within New Zealand and the northern hemisphere. The saltmarsh lies at the southern, upstream end of the estuary and provides a buffer between farmland and the estuary. The purchase of 21 hectares was negotiated by the Government’s Nature Heritage Fund which paid $90,000 for it. The wetland becomes a scenic reserve, adjacent to other Crown land administered by the Department of Conservation.