Why does the project not include all the Port Hills?
The focus of Te Kākahu Kahukura is the part of the Port Hills south of Victoria Park/ Rāpaki, extending towards Gebbies Pass, from the plains to Whakaraupō / Lyttelton Harbour, including Ōtamahua/Quail Island.
The Southern Port Hills and Ōtamahua/Quail Island provide a unique opportunity for a large forested area on the doorstep of metropolitan Christchurch and its surrounding townships. While a substantial area on the Port Hills was affected by catastrophic fires in February 2017, the development of Te Kākahu Kahukura allows us to build on the collaborative projects that developed after the fire, as well as the substantial biodiversity work that was already underway, to plan for the regeneration and revegetation of the fire affected areas.
The project area already contains significant areas of existing and regenerating native forest and shrublands within reserves administered under the Reserves Act and private land under Covenants. In addition to the reserves and other protected areas on the hills, Ōtamahua/Quail Island also has a critical role to play in Te Kākahu Kahukura.
There are no hard and fast boundaries to the project – anyone is invited to participate, but the core area has been chosen as a matter of practicality and because it already contains significant areas of existing and regenerating native forest.