The Whakaki Lake Trust did not set out to win awards or gain recognition – the Trustees simply wanted to restore their Lake.

The Whakaki Lake Trust was formed in 1969, with the Trust’s focus initially on duck shooting and customary uses of the Lake.  As the years passed however, the Trustees awakened to their responsibilities.

“The Trustees realised the Lake was more than a couple of ducks, a couple of swans and a whole lot of eels.  We had an environmental responsibility to the Lake and we started to recognise that,” says Trustee Walter Wilson.

In 1992 the Trust refocused its attention onto the environmental wellness of the Lake and in 1995 the Trust started a restoration programme at the Lake, which was in a dire state as farming and development had drained water levels. 

“When I first looked at the task ahead of us I thought I had to be absolutely crazy to attempt it.  I think being a bit mad helped!”

Lake Whakaki is on private property, with the Trust’s land being part of an extensive interlinked system of lakes, wetlands, sand dunes and barrier beach east of Wairoa.  The Lake is managed by the Trust on behalf of around 1,800 owners as listed by the Maori Land Court.  The 1600 acre property is around 85% Lake and 15% wetland and sandhills.

On taking over management of the Lake, the Trust banned all stock from the property and fenced the area, in order to improve the Lake’s water levels.  The Trust also set out to replant the property with native trees and plants and set an aim of planting 100,000 plants and trees in the Lake area.  This aim led to the establishment of the Trust’s own native nursery producing trees for the project. 

Walter says the biggest challenge the Trust has faced is bureaucracy. 

“There were a lot of hoops we had to jump through and a lot of agencies had their own agenda, but we were the land owners so we had our own agenda too!”

Despite those challenges work was underway – and that work was being noticed.

In 2001 the Trust received the Ramsar Certificate, an international award for the best use and management of wetlands.  Lake Whakaki is one of only six sites in New Zealand that has achieved this level of recognition.  Two years later, in 2003, the Trust won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Wairoa Community Awards and went on to represent the Wairoa District at the TrustPower National Community Awards.

“The Trustees were chuffed at receiving the Awards … it felt great to be recognised for all that hard work.  Those Awards were appreciated and they gave us an incentive to carry on, but in fact the hard yards had just begun,” says Walter.

Since receiving those Awards the Trust has continued to work to achieve it goals.  The Trust has achieved its goal of planting 100,000 trees and plants at the site, and has had a 50% to 60% survival rate.

“It’s one step forward and one step back, but the trees that have grown are three to four metres tall.  It’s pretty hard growing conditions…salt spray, sand country and up to 150km per hour winds,” says Walter.

The Trust has received funding from various agencies to continue its planting programme, and that funding has allowed the Trust to secure wages for three staff.   

“It’s quite huge – it’s not just a garden down at the park.  The whole area is wind blown – they are pretty harsh conditions.  The area we are planting is a couple of hundred acres or more stretching down to the beach,’ says Walter.

The Trust has another three miles of beach to plant.

“This is a 50 year programme.  It will take another one or two generations to continue this work.  I’ll be long gone and my great-grandchildren will take responsibility in their own way and in their own time.”

For more information on the Whakaki Lake Trust please contact Walter Wilson on 06 838 8590 or email walterwil@hotmail.com .