Kia ora villagers,
It’s Friends of the Farm with an update on mangrove seedlings along the Kiwi Esplanade.
Our community has been removing mangrove seedlings along the esplanade strip for many years, whether it be on organised days or individual efforts, and like any other year, there are thousands of seedlings again.
The focus of this work has always been first and foremost the ecology of the area. We know opinions are divided on mangroves and we don’t claim to be experts on them. Mangroves have a place and many advantages in the eco system. Yet if these mangroves are left to colonise, the ecosystem of the Esplanade will change. The birds will move further onto the shore as their current safe roosts on the exposed lava flows will be covered in mangroves. This will also mean that the mud flats in which they find their food will be further away into the harbour and covered by tide. The birds are already affected by activities along the Esplanade, like dogs, motorbikes, large groups of people, loud music and drones which, at times, significantly hinder their ability to roost on the large grassy patches. This will only increase if the birds no longer have the lava mud flats available for roosting.
For more than ten years, we have seen that keeping most of the Esplanade free of mangroves has continued to enable our wonderful sea birds to forage at low tide and roost on the exposed lava flows. The Kiwi Esplanade is recognised in the Unitary Plan as a significant wader bird roosting site.
The Manukau harbour is still healing from many years of historic pollution and continues to face pressures as our city grows. For decades people became disconnected from the harbour and spending time in it wasn’t possible or desirable. As the health of the harbour continues to improve, we recognise that people are connecting or reconnecting with the harbour through access, enjoyment, and care. This is a significant value for our community. Removing mangrove seedlings retains recreational access, whether you kayak, waka ama, fish, bird watch or even swim.
We are calling on our community who use the harbour and value the ecology to help remove mangrove seedlings. It’s tough work. They need to be hand pulled, be under 60cms high and they cannot be removed from under established mangrove areas.
At this stage we have three planned mangrove removal dates. Please note the different starting times due to the tide.
Ngā mihi nui
Janine Nillesen Co- Chair, Friends of the Farm
April 2026
Friends of the Farm is a local group focused on reducing waste and protecting the environment and has partnered with Auckland Council for more than ten years to deliver education and waste reduction services.
