As part of the upgrade work, there are now fewer visible pipes in the park.
More than 3km of ageing wastewater pipes in Bothamley Park have been replaced with larger, more resilient pipes in a project that started in December 2022. These pipes will help to prevent around 40,000 cubic metres of raw sewage – enough to fill 16 Olympic-sized swimming pools – from entering the Kenepuru Stream and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour each year.
The upgrade is part of the work Te Rā Nui – Eastern Porirua Development (a partnership between Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, Porirua City Council and Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira) is doing, and will benefit all of Porirua.
Porirua City Mayor Anita Baker says getting the project across the line took a real partnership approach.
“For Council, it’s part of the wider upgrade of our major strategic assets, along with the wastewater storage tank being built near the railway station and the new drinking water pipes being laid along Waitangirua Link Rd. All this work will help protect our harbour, improve our environment and increase our resilience during events like earthquakes,” says Mayor Baker.
Te Rā Nui Project Director Will Pennington says the new pipes are longer lasting and double the size of the old pipes (almost a metre wide) and have been designed to support current and future generations.
“The network upgrade created opportunities to enhance Bothamley Park and there are now fewer visible pipes. Around 1.8km of walking and cycling track has been resurfaced, more native plants added, and the Champion St carpark resealed,” says Mr Pennington.
Rawiri Faulkner, Pou Toa Matarau for Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, added “this upgrade goes a long way to realising our aspirations and commitment to Te Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour by ensuring a more resilient network and therefore improving the quality of the water. We welcome this project as a significant improvement, but acknowledge we still have a long way to go.”
1 Apr 2025
