Application to Waitakere Community Board
for Park Development Funding at Karekare Waterfall
1. Overview
We thank you for the opportunity to apply for Park Development funding from your discetionary fund. KKLandcare, under the umbrella of KKRRPT is, in conjunction with other stakeholders, developing an action plan to restore and rehabilitate the "Four Streams" area, which is the portal for most visitor activity and traffic at Karekare. The waterfall area appears as item D in the attached discussion document.

The Karekare waterfall is heavily visited by locals, picnickers, trampers, wedding parties and film crews. Loss of vegetation and erosion of the poolside and surroundings has increased markedly over the last few years, and a significant deterioration of amenity is likely in future unless action is undertaken to protect and restore the area. The sum of $4,500 is respectfully requested.

2. Proposal
KKLandcare and KKRRPT, assisted by ARC staff (Simon Stoddart, Ranger; Ken Becker, Riparian Management; Ngaire Sullivan, Land Care) proposes that the banks of the pool and stream outlet be protected by an arrangement of rock and vegetation "islands" using large (~ 200 kg) boulders arranged to resemble the "rock gardens" that are a feature of the banks of the nearby Opal Pools stream. The boulders would come from the Bethells quarry, be bought along the track to the site by rubber-tyred mini-dozer, placed under the direction of local artists, and planted in native species. Boulder faces would be aligned to create a "natural stairway" down to the pool, whilst encouraging visitors to stay on the existing path. The boulder wall would also protect the nikau palm whose roots have been exposed by flood waters diverted by past attempts to dam the stream outlet to increase the depth of the pool. It would also be possible to use small stones from the bottom of the pool as fill between the boulders, thereby going someway to restoring the pool to its original depth. The existing picnic table, which currently "moves" all around the area, will be relocated to the old concrete BBQ pad, and fixed there. This, in conjunction with the new bench seat near the pool, will provide ample amenity for visitors.

3. Resources
ARC will provide riparian and and project management expertise (the site manager will be a local ARC Parks Ranger). Labour is available from the Justice Dept. Periodic Detention workers who spend one day every week at Karekare under ARC supervision, and who have assisted with previous ARC / KKRRPT restoration projects. KK Landcare and KKRRPT will provide artistic direction as well as "sweat equity", and will maintain the plantings and provide overall coordination between stakeholders. Funding is sought from Waitakere City Council, the owner of the land, via the Waitakere Community Board. The sum sought is $4,500, which includes the costs of rock and fill, transport, native plants, compost, contingencies and administration.
Thankyou for your consideration,
Robin Taylor Chairperson, KKRRPT Karekare Residents and Ratepayers Trust PO Box 21941, Henderson Waitakere City Email: robint@iconz.co.nz

Where Four Streams Meet:
an ARC / KK Landcare/KKRRPT / WCC discussion document
Boundaries of area under discussion
Karekare Stream: from the Watchman Rd bridge to the lagoon
Murdoch Stream: from the "twin pohutakawa" by the road
Opal Pools Stream: from the pools along the Lone Kauri Rd to the confluence with Company Stream
Company Stream: from the waterfall pool, through Bill's park, then past the carpark to the lagoon

Areas of concern
Karekare Stream
streambanks both sides of the Watchman Bridge constricted with slumping and invasive weeds pampas and bamboo overgrowth stream bank undercut and slumping, especially alongside Karekare Road, just past mailboxes roadside verges bare earth, gouged by traffic
Murdoch Stream
moderate erosion toilet block itself
Opal Pools Stream
informal pathways people create from road to pools are eroding the steep bank and damaging plants
Waterfall pool
severe erosion due to flooding, traffic and the partial damming of the outlet
Company Stream
invasive weeds overwhelming native plants on the streambanks,
inadequate Carpark ARC bulletin board due for upgrade?

Remedial projects and estimated requirements

A. Karekare Stream
1) Remove pampas at Watchman Bridge, put in roadside barrier and plant streamside natives (flax, nikau, etc) Resources: $550 plants and mulch + labour
2) Harvest bamboo at Watchman Bridge as close to ground as possible and interplant with streamside natives (sheets of corrugated iron can be driven into the ground to stop the bamboo roots from spreading. Tubes of corrugated iron set into the bank around the young plants will also assist them) Resources: $400 plants and corrugated iron + labour
3) Clear up the bottleneck in KK stream downstream from Watchman bridge by removing broken trees and realigning boulders. The bottleneck is forcing water through in such a way as to undercut the banks. A section now threatening to undercut the road could be saved with baskets of rocks, grading and plantings as was the Green car park streamside (this area is a good model for such corrective measures) Resources: detailed costing required; involves LTA, WCC?
4) Protect the stream/roadside plantings from cars being parked on them with either rocks or low railings Resources: $300 plants + fencing + labour
5) Encourage and assist Watchman Rd locals tidy up the mailboxes and rubbish collection area near the bridge
6) Two years ago, the green carpark was partially resurfaced by rock and fill from an abortive attempt to develop a streamside floodplain. This has caused erosion and drainage problems, and the carpark needs to be regraded and returfed, with a new layer of sand over the rock to prevent grass die-off under summer traffic.
Resources: Request to capital works budget of ARC

B. Murdoch Stream
1) Control erosion by planting the stronger natives found on the banks further upstream. Resources: $300 plants + labour
2) Upgrade the toilets (not enlarge them, but redesign and upgrade septic system). Shower taps could be included for bathers to wash off salt and sand. Resources: Request to capital works budget of ARC

C. Opal Pools Stream
1) Either formalize a pathway down the steep bank or simply repair the damage in such a way as to discourage such use or minimize damage (steps of stone or wood? rope handrail?) Resources: Request to capital works budget of ARC

D. Waterfall pool
1) Bring in rock slabs, boulders and plants to create a naturalistic pool bank in some ways like the Opal Pools stream bank, which will bear foot traffic and winter water flows without the heavy erosion happening now. The erosion here seems to be accentuated by people shifting the rocks to pool the water. The rock slabs need to be big enough to discourage such landscaping efforts. Involvement of local artists could help achieve a "wild look" to the restoration. Resources: Request to Waitakere Community Board Park Development Fund
2) Either fasten the existing picnic table to the old concrete BBQ pad, or remove it entirely. If the latter, a new picnic table could in future be placed at a distance from the pool, which would take some pressure off the immediate waterfall area, leaving it more "wild".

E. Company Stream
1) With help of local artist, redesign the bulletin boards. Resources: Request to capital works budget of ARC 2) Plant natives among the invasive streamside weeds to encourage a shadier waterway. Resources: $400 plants + labour

F. Water Pollution Monitoring programmes and procedures need to be assessed in the light of current data. Are the results good enough?

G. Commercial Filming and Tourism
KKRRPT/KK Landcare is working to establish consultation and liasion protocols with film and tourism companies and their controlling local authorities (eg Waitakere Enterprise Board), to ameliorate the impact of these industries' growing use of the Four Streams area as both a portal and a destination.