Ecology is a major consideration on the $630 million Kapiti Expressway MacKays to Peka Peka project north of Wellington. An ecologist is overseeing the project to protect precious resources, working closely with construction staff in sensitive areas. The project includes:
- planting 140 hectares of new, locally sourced and mainly native plants. This is one of the largest planting projects the lower North Island has ever seen
- increasing wetland areas by five times their current footprint. With every hectare of wetland that is lost or moved due to construction, the MacKays to Peka Peka Alliance will regenerate it five times over
- catching native species of fish and relocating them. When working in waterways such as streams, rivers and culverts, it is important to make sure any native fish are safely removed and re-homed. Bridges and crossings are also designed so that fish and other water species can move freely up and down stream
- catching and relocating indigenous skinks and geckos to new, natural habitats before any construction takes place.
The goal is to create a long-term corridor that will improve ecological connections with other forest and wetland areas on the Kapiti Coast. The local bird, lizard and native fish populations are expected to grow.
