Volunteers bring Oakley Creek back to life

One of urban Auckland’s few natural resources is making a recovery, thanks to the work of a group of true friends.

Oakley Creek in Waterview remains a significant natural site, but was losing ground to urban development.

A band of volunteers, called Friends of Oakley Creek, started restoring it in 2004, when it started replanting native vegetation, weeding and monitoring the wildlife. It also opposed plans to extend State Highway 20 across the area.

The group has since planted around 65,000 plants, and its efforts have seen kereru, the native wood pigeon, return to the creek. The group’s work has recently been recognised by Auckland Council.

Wendy John, chairperson for the Friends of Oakley Creek, helped set up the group. She said when she first came across the creek, it was polluted, and a motorway across the area was planned.

“There was a sense that nobody seemed to be caring about it. There was a lot of rubbish lying around, and it didn’t feel very safe.”

Now that more people are returning, the creek feels like an “oasis in the city”, she said.

When Te Waha Nui visited on Friday, Graham Power, a city planner, was showing off the site to a friend visiting from England.

“It’s pleasant place to walk and bring visitors. Teenagers and kids come here to jump off the waterfall, and a lot of people use the path for jogging or walking their dogs.”

In June this year, the Friends of Oakley Creek won the Auckland Council’s inaugural Biosecurity and Biodiversity Group Award, which has helped raise the profile of the group and its cause.

MP for Mt Albert, David Shearer, congratulated the group on giving a voice to the area.

“They’ve put in hard work to restore a beautiful part of Auckland. It was terrible before. They also protected it from the extension of State Highway 20. It’s a terrific project.”

Wendy John said recruiting volunteers takes a lot of time and energy.

“We can’t do this on our own; we need contributions from the wider community. It’s important to get a sense of value and ownership to protect our urban streams and biodiversity.”