Restoring the wellbeing of the valley and its connection to Ngāi Tamarāwaho

Boffa Miskell has worked alongside Ngāi Tamarāwaho and Tauranga City Council in the visioning and development of the 300ha Kopurererua Valley, a 300-hectare block of low lying rural land located within residential
neighbourhoods on the western base of Te Papa Peninsula.

Location

Bay of Plenty

Worked with

Ngāi Tamarāwaho
Tauranga City Council
Warren + Mahoney

Project date

2002 - ongoing

Since 2002, the Kopurererua Valley project has seen the establishment of on-going relationships with community partners and the implementation of many of the project goals. Ngāi Tamarāwaho focused on establishing their place within the valley through many projects including: realignment of the channelised Kopurererua Stream to its meandering form of their ancestor Taurikura's formative journey through the valley; wetland and native bush enhancement; gateways and cultural narrative; walking and cycling tracks and bridges; and pa site rehabilitation and recognition.

Boffa Miskell led the visioning and concept development alongside Ngāi Tamarāwaho and has continued to work with Tauranga City Council throughout sub-projects, including the walking and cycling bridges, updated valley concepts and interpretation.

This project is about successful implementation of design and project process, as much as it is of the concept and design itself.  The reserve is culturally and ecologically significant to Tauranga City and Ngāi Tamarāwaho and the ongoing investment into projects is a reflection of this.