Kauri Park Nurseries

How do you get the benefits of a large wetland in a small stream? “Kauri Park Ltd is Australasia’s leading supplier of Constructed Wetlands and Floating Treatment Wetlands. Patent protected technology. They have progressively evolved wetland technology working closely with global leading wetland scientists, and are now manufacturing and installing the most cost-effective, advanced systems in the world.

In years gone by, aerated lagoons were the ideal process for treating municipal and industrial waste water. Low capital investment, low operating costs and very limited maintenance requirements made this the affordable treatment of choice for many Australasian communities.

Today, increasing loads combined with more stringent environmental constraints render many of these pond systems out of compliance. In most cases there has been no alternative other than the adoption of capital and technology intensive upgrade options with their associated high maintenance and operating costs.”

“Kauri Park’s innovative approach is currently being trialled here in Central Hawke’s Bay. A floating island has been set up on a drain running along side the Waipukurau end of the Tukipo River. A conventional wetland would have covered 15,000 square metres and required at least 20,000 plants and the removal of flood control edge plantings. Instead, 4,000 of a total 12,000 plants have been put on special mats covering just 75sq metres (330 long).

The system is designed to leave a small space between the bottom of the mats and the stream bed, allowing plant roots (pukio or carex secta, swap sedge, giant umbrella sedge and kuawa) to strip excess nutrients from surrounding farmland from the water. The system has survived its first flood and appears t be growing well.

Here in Central Hawke’s Bay they’re just waiting for the science to work with the root mass underneath. If it works then the local Council Operations Environmental Manager can identify other nutrient rich waterways flowing into rivers and find out how they are suitable.”