Project Twin Streams is an umbrella name for a number of initiatives centred on two streams ( Opanuku and

Oratia Oratia is a semi-rural locality on the western edge of metropolitan West Auckland in New Zealand. It is approximately to the south west of Auckland CBD (Central Business District), and sits at the eastern edge of the Waitākere Ranges Heri ...

) in the West Auckland,

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

. It consists of a number of environmental and community initiatives and infrastructure. This includes wetland restoration, largely carried out through volunteer work, partly to mitigate the effects of floodwaters from the

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...

. The intent is also to protect/reclaim the

100-year flood A 100-year flood is a flood event that has a 1 in 100 chance (1% probability) of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual exceedance probability is 1%.Holmes, R.R., Jr. ...

plain from encroaching buildings and infrastructure. The project was achieved successfully, including 156 full and partial property purchases, despite a political decision not to use the legally available option of compulsory property purchases. The project focuses on the tributaries of

Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek The Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek is an estuarine river of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its sources in the Henderson Valley and Titirangi, before reaching the western Waitematā Harbour. Geography ...

and the Huruhuru Creek, including the Momutu Stream,

Ōpanuku Stream The Ōpanuku Stream, formerly known as the Henderson Stream, is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows east from its source the Waitākere Ranges through the Henderson Valley, then north-east through West Aucklan ...

Oratia Stream The Oratia Stream is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north-east from its source at the township of Waiatarua in the Waitākere Ranges, before entering into the Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, which flo ...

and the

Waikumete Stream The Waikumete Stream is a stream of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows north from its sources in Titirangi, before joining the Oratia Stream. Both bodies are tributaries of Te Wai-o-Pareira / Henderson Creek, which flows ...

. The conservation works, both for the streams and the wider catchment, won second place in the International Thiess Riverprize in 2007.

Walk- and cycleway

One of the most visible initiatives is the well-received Twin Streams Walk- and Cycleway, which allows residents and visitors to wander or ride most of the length of the two streams and some of their tributaries. The specification requirements included lighting for the path (which has since been installed, and provides extended use hours in the evening and morning, though not during some parts of the night), and at the time of installation, the lighting for the paths was the largest

LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...

lighting project in New Zealand. The 3m wide paths, with some 2.5m wide side paths, were funded by a combination of Infrastructure Auckland and Land Transport New Zealand grants / subsidies. The construction of the paths in the 2000s at that time included 5 bridges, 11 boardwalks, 5 retaining walls and a number of property purchases, for a total of slightly more than $10 million. The project also included a variety of local artworks, from ceramic tiles to cultural markers and kinetic sculptures, with a budget of $380,000. The walk- and cycleways and its lighting won several awards, including: * 2010 Illuminating Engineering Society - Lighting Design Award * 2010 Royal Astronomical Society of NZ (RASNZ) - Dark Sky Award for Lighting * 2009 NZTA and Living Streets Aotearoa Golden Foot Award - Best Practice Walking Facility * 2009 Cycling Advocate Network (CAN) Avanti Award - Best Cycle Facility

References

External links

Project Twin Streams
{{Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area Cycleways in Auckland Conservation projects in New Zealand Environment of the Auckland Region Henderson-Massey Local Board Area West Auckland, New Zealand