Te Auaunga Awa (Oakley Creek) is an Auckland Council Healthy Waters flood mitigation and open space restoration project delivered through Walmsley and Underwood Reserves in Mt Roskill/Wesley. The upgrade transformed a formerly concrete-lined channel into a naturalised, meandering stream with extensive native planting and strong community and mana whenua partnership.

Our role (Te Whāngai Trust)

• Led a native nursery social enterprise based at Wesley Intermediate School, established in partnership with Auckland Council and the Ministry of Education, specifically to supply plants for Te Auaunga.

• Contracted to deliver 100,000 native plants required for the project (eco-sourced supply model supporting restoration at scale).

• Delivered the plants, planting, and plant maintenance contract with a workforce requirement of 20 people per year supporting delivery and establishment.

• Provided employment pathways for long-term unemployed participants and people with complex barriers to work (including mental health/offending history), integrating work-readiness and life skills into environmental delivery.

• Supported social procurement outcomes alongside the project’s youth employment initiative (with trainees employed on-site and within Te Whāngai Trust).

Impact:
The project reduced flooding risk for nearly 200 homes and enabled resilient urban intensification while establishing a river park along Te Auaunga. It restored approximately 1.5 km of stream length, daylighted seven piped tributaries, and restored about eight hectares of open space. Project reporting also documents strong shifts in community use and perception: post-upgrade surveys found satisfaction increased by 8%, pride increased by 25%, perceived creek health increased by 30%, and interest in volunteering increased by 17%.