Waitomo District Council (WDC) has received approximately $12k from Matariki Tu Rkau for native planting at Brook Park/ Motakiora.

The funding was awarded earlier in the month after WDC applied to the Ministry for Primary Industries for funding to replace pine trees that were felled in February 2019. 

Tony Hale, general manager, infrastructure services says, “Brook Park is a wonderful community asset, and we’re thrilled to have received this funding to continue the beautification of the park.”

The funding will be spent on site clearance and native planting. 

Later this month the site will be cleared for planting.  This will be followed by the planting of 2500 native trees in winter 2021.

A condition of WDC’s funding was that the trees were planted in commemoration of locals.  The Brook Park committee selected Jim and Jean Swindells for their contribution to restoration projects in the Te Kuiti Area.

Guy Whitaker, Brook Park chairperson says “Jim and Jean were obvious choices.  It’s nice we can acknowledge all the work they did in the community in such a special way.  Jim would have planted many thousands of native trees in his time, enhancing lots of habitats for our native fauna and flora to flourish.

The area that will be planted is not suitable for grazing and is ideal land to revert back to native bush. As a committee we’re continuously looking at how we can improve the park for the betterment of the community and planting 2500 native trees is something we would never have had the budget for.”

WDC will work with the Brook Park committee to make a planting plan and will look to hold community planting days in winter 2021.