The $1.4 million plan will see natural tidal zones reconnected and more native species planted to restore the area to coastal wetland.
“The development plan reflects the council’s emphasis on climate resilience and responding to the ecological emergency,” said city council acting head of parks Rupert Bool.
The development area sits between Tunnel Rd and Bridle Path Rd, with the golf club and heritage park located within.
Stage one of the development will likely be under way early next month at the latest, said Bool.
The pines along the Ōpāwaho River Track will be cut down over about six weeks to prepare the estuary edge for the planting of about 12,000 native species.
It will take about four weeks to complete the plantings.
The lower Avoca Stream and connected saltmarsh will then be planted with more natives with a start date not yet set.
Heathcote city councillor Sara Templeton said the development is the result of nearby residents pushing for natural restoration.
“Making sure we have native species thriving near the estuary is really important,” she said.
Stage two will see tidal connections with the estuary restored at five waterways which flow from the Avoca Stream near Tunnel Rd.
This will encourage natural regeneration of the pasture land west of the golf club alongside planting wetland natives.
Work on stage two will start some time next year, with the whole plan expected to be fully implemented by 2030.
These projects will see most of the land north and west of the golf club restored to coastal wetland.
Bool said the city council has worked out a transition plan with the farmer who uses paddocks within the area for grazing livestock.
“We will be gradually removing grazing from the paddocks that can be seen from the Tunnel Rd motorway within Ferrymead Regional Park,” Bool said.
“Planting and retiring areas of the paddocks will occur gradually and it is likely that there will be some areas that are grazed until the site is fully developed as habitat.”
Bool said the phasing out of paddocks over time will allow the farmer to make long-term plans for new grazing areas.
The Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board approved the development plan in December last year.
