Te Auaunga Awa
Oakley Creek Restoration:
Stage 1.
Te Whāngai Trust was the lead ecological delivery partner on one of Aotearoa’s most prominent urban stream restoration projects.
Delivered at scale in partnership with leading engineering and landscape firms.
Te Auaunga Awa (Oakley Creek) Restoration
Te Auaunga Awa (Oakley Creek) is a major flood mitigation and environmental restoration project delivered by Auckland Council Healthy Waters through Walmsley and Underwood Reserves in Mt Roskill / Wesley.
The project transformed a previously concrete-lined channel into a naturalised, meandering stream, with extensive native planting and strong partnership with mana whenua and the local community.
Our role.
Te Whāngai Trust played a key role in both environmental delivery and workforce development:
Established and led a native plant nursery social enterprise at Wesley Intermediate School
Supplied approximately 100,000 eco-sourced native plants for the project
Delivered large-scale planting and ongoing plant maintenance
Supported a workforce of around 20 people per year across delivery and establishment
Created employment pathways for people facing barriers to work, including long-term unemployment, mental health challenges, and offending histories
Integrated work-readiness and life skills alongside hands-on environmental work
Contributed to social procurement outcomes alongside youth employment initiatives on-site.
Underwood Bridge. Image attribution: Jay Farnworth.
Pedestrian walkways. Image attribution: Jay Farnworth.
Pedestrian footbridge and riparian margins. Image attribution: Jay Farnworth.
Te Whāngai Trust team members planting riparian margins. Image attribution: Mark Lewis, Boffa Miskell.
Te Whāngai Trust team members planting green spaces. Image attribution: Mark Lewis, Boffa Miskell.
What this project delivered.
This project reshaped both the physical environment and how the space is used by the community:
Approximately 1.5 km of stream restored
Seven piped tributaries daylighted
Around eight hectares of open space restored
Flood risk reduced for nearly 200 homes
Creation of a connected river park through the reserve corridor
Why it matters.
This project shows what can happen when environmental restoration is delivered alongside real employment opportunities — improving public infrastructure while creating pathways for people into work.
Awards & recognitions.
NZILA Resene Pride of Place Landscape Architecture Awards (2019): Award of Excellence (Playgrounds), Award of Excellence (Parks), Award of Excellence (Te Karanga o te Tui).
DINZ Best Design Awards (2019): Silver Pin (Social Good Award).
Engineering New Zealand ENVI Awards (2019): Engineering Impact Award II (Winner).
NZIA Auckland Architecture Awards (2020): Winner – “Te Auaunga Awa: Multicultural Fāle & Outdoor Classroom.”
IPWEA / International Public Works Conference (2022): Excellence in Environment & Sustainability award winner for Te Auaunga (Australasian/IPWC context).
Green Flag Award (2023): Walmsley and Underwood Reserves recognised with a Green Flag Award (international quality mark for parks/green spaces).
