Current Affairs
Here you can read about items of current interest affecting the Inlet.
Harbour Accord
On Waitangi Day this year, the Te Wai Ora o Parirua Harbour Accord was launched. Its joint signatories were Ngati Toa, Porirua City, Wellington City, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Wellington Water. It has been a decade since the predecessor arrangement – the Harbour Strategy and its related Action Plan – was initiated.
Sadly this old Harbour Strategy didn’t result in much change to the harbour. If anything its ecological condition has gone backwards in the last decade. Incursions of sediment and related fine muds plus contaminants from land and transport based stormwater have been a major cause of its degraded state.
The Vision of the newly minted Harbour Accord says:
The health and mauri of Te Awarua o Porirua is restored, its waters are healthy and sustainable for future generations and for those who live, work, play or connect with the harbour.
A summary of the Accord can be seen in our April Newsletter under the Chairman’s report. However there is a lot more to it.
For those interested in reading the complete text of the accord we have posted it here.
Posted 11 April 2025
Freedom Camping Proposal
UPDATE 11/4/2025
The meeting with Porirua City Council to present submissions on the draft Freedom Camping Bylaw was held on 6 March. GOPI made a joint PHT/GOPI submission while an individual submission was made by Marg Glover, our treasurer, who is familiar with the issues related to freedom camping from personal experience.
PCC are debating the issue, taking into account the written and oral submissions, and a full deliberation will take place on 1 May where changes will be agreed.
A final decision of freedom camping sites for Porirua will be announced on 31st May.
Freedom camping, as defined by the Department of Conservation, means to camp on public land outside of a formal campsite (on the side of a road, at a parking area, by the coast, etc.) using either a motor vehicle, tent, bivouac or another type of temporary structure.
While there are freedom camping sites in Porirua these areas are the subject of controversy, especially when rules are broken.
Porirua City Council is, therefore, proposing a new bylaw to help with the management of these sites and have put forward a consultation document with explanations as to what constitutes freedom camping, where this can be legally carried out and what are the problems associated with it.
The general public are invited to submit responses to the proposed bylaw after reading through the consultation document. Links to information on the proposed changes follow:
The above document also guides you through the process of making a submission and is easy to follow.
Item 7 of this draft bylaw makes specific reference to the restrictions being proposed.
More information on the proposal and how to make a submission can be found HERE: