Tauranga families have a unique opportunity to plant a native tree, snap a selfie, and return in the years ahead to watch it grow — all while helping restore one of the city’s most significant ecological and cultural landscapes.
The Tauranga Rotary Centennial Trust is calling on 200 volunteers to join 200 local Rotarians in planting 5000 native trees in the Kōpūrererua Valley Reserve on Sunday, September 14.
“We’re inviting the public to come along and be part of this special day,” said trust board chair Lyall Holmes.
“It’s two hours of planting, followed by a good old-fashioned sausage sizzle. K Valley is a truly valuable resource, and the more people who understand its value to our city, the better.”
Tauranga Rotary Centennial Trust board chair Lyall Holmes planting a native tree in Kōpūrererua Valley. Photo / Brydie Thompson.
Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register via the Humanitix website so organisers can plan for numbers. The planting event would run 9.30am-12pm, with access via the Marshall Ave entrance to the valley.
“Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s Environmental Enhancement fund and Powerco will pay for a mixture of plant species,” Holmes said. “We appreciate their generosity.”
Long-term collaboration
Established in 2004, the Tauranga Rotary Centennial Trust is a long-term collaboration between Tauranga’s four Rotary clubs — Tauranga, Tauranga Te Papa, Tauranga Sunrise, and Otūmoetai — in partnership with Tauranga City Council, BOPRC, and local iwi.
During the last 20 years the project has seen more than $2m invested into revitalising the 364ha reserve.
Sylvie Brown from ACG, Geoff Brown (at back), and Karpaga Kanniya Muthu helping plant 4500 native plants in Kōpūrererua Valley in September, 2024.
Kōpūrererua Valley is not only an important wetland and ecological corridor – it holds deep cultural and historical significance, and is part of the ancestral lands of Ngāi Tamarāwaho, for whom the valley and nearby Waikareao Estuary are treasured kete kai (food baskets).
The area was also a site of pivotal 19th century battles between Māori and British colonial forces, with remnants of Puketoromiro Pā and other archaeological features still visible today.
Puketoromiro Pā stands towards the southern end of the Kōpūrererua Valley. Photo / Tauranga City Council.
Kōpūrererua Valley received national recognition in May, earning a Healthy Parks Merit Award in the 2025 Recreation Aotearoa Parks Awards.
While the award was presented to TCC, Holmes said it also reflected the efforts of countless volunteers and the trust partners across two decades of transformation.
Much more value
The value of K Valley extended well beyond its role in improving stormwater quality before it flows into Tauranga Harbour, said Holmes, because it now served as a key transport and recreational link through the city.
Kōpūrererua Valley Reserve. Photo / Tauranga City Council
Alongside the state highway corridor connecting Tauriko to Mount Maunganui – a vital route for port-bound freight – the reserve boasts 12km of walking and cycling paths.
“Soak up the tranquillity, share a sense of history, ecology and recreational possibilities in this jewel of Tauranga city. Bring your families and enjoy a sausage sizzle,” Holmes said.
To register for the September 14 planting day, visit: https://events.humanitix.com/plantingday
4 comments
Devaluation
Posted on 30-08-2025 22:37 | By Yadick
For my dear Wife and I, when we came to sell our house these plantings had grown huge and TOTALLY blocked our amazing views of the Mount, port and ships. The grass was only ever mown once it reached literally knee height and would sit in big mown clumps rotting and stinking. It completely devalued our house. We contacted TCC and they couldn't have cared less.
The valley often floods. I used to walk my Wife along the boardwalk from 17th Ave and back for a cuppa tea at the village. Not anymore. The motorbikes scream along the boardwalk and through the valley, most likely doing their drug run so our Police can't get them. The place stinks of rotting vegetation and stagnant water. K Valley is a mess and a disgrace and imo is a dangerous place due to the criminal lowlife.
plantings
Posted on 31-08-2025 13:40 | By peter pan
Why not combine some exotic flowering trees and plants .With our semitropical climate we could have flowering nectar giving trees most of the year and the native birds would love it,why,why not????
K Vally is great
Posted on 01-09-2025 20:42 | By This Guy
Hard disagree with Yadick about the state of K valley, I regularly walk/bike around there and have never seen any of the criminal activity they're claiming or found it to be "stinking of rotting vegetation" - I admit I have seen teens on their mopeds now and then (I don't assume them to be drug dealers though, just teens being teens) but it's generally a really pleasant place to bike around (maybe things changed since they stopped walking there?) I look forward to them planting more trees and vegetation, it's a very welcome change from all the tarmac, concrete and toxic fumes from the roads.
K Valley disruption
Posted on 15-09-2025 12:16 | By drgoon
We have enrolled to take part in the planting. A great day for our family to join others.
Yadick is right about the significant disturbance caused by motorcycles using Kopurererua Valley as a way to avoid using roads. We live at tbhe bottom of Faulkner St near the entrance to the reserve. Approximately 1 year ago, the entrance was vandalised so that motorcycles could enter and exit easily. I know this because I watched it happening.
I called the Tauranga City Council, the said call the Police. Police said the reserve is not their jurisdiction, call the Council. Tauranga City Council didn't give a rats ###.
I documented 85 times motorcycles useing that entrance over one week.. this was when I was at home ( I work fulltime ). TCC didn't care.
TCC is useless.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to make a comment.