MEDIA RELEASE Shakespeare Bay Restoration Project underway More than 100 students rolled up their sleeves at Shakespeare Bay alongside port and marinas employees on 15 October for Port Marlborough’s community planting day, a milestone in the port’s long-term project to restore native biodiversity to Shakespeare Bay. Students from Picton School, Waikawa Bay School and Queen Charlotte College joined the Port Marlborough team and Native Restorations to plant over 1,000 eco-sourced native seedlings. The plants will help stabilise the soil, protect waterways, and create habitats for native birds and insects to return. “This was such a special experience for our tamariki,” said Lianne Adams, Assistant Principal and Enviroschools lead teacher at Picton School. “Getting their hands in the soil and planting native trees helps them build a real sense of belonging and pride in caring for the whenua. They’ll be able to come back in years to come and see the forest they helped create, and that connection is powerful.” The planting day marked the completion of Stage Two of the Shakespeare Bay Restoration Project — a multi-year initiative by Port Marlborough to restore and re-establish native forest following the harvest of commercial forestry. When finished, the 25-hectare project will see around 24,500 native trees and shrubs planted, with another 14 hectares restored through assisted natural regeneration. A key focus of the work is comprehensive pest and weed control, which is essential to protecting young plantings and supporting the successful return of native vegetation. Port Marlborough Environmental Manager Rebekah Anderson said seeing the next generation involved in the project was a real highlight. “It was wonderful to give our local schools the opportunity to join us in restoring this area. The pioneer species planted today will lay the groundwork for the return of diverse native forest and wildlife, and it was a hands-on opportunity for our community to contribute to long-term environmental restoration in our local area” Rebekah said. The Shakespeare Bay Restoration Project is part of Port Marlborough’s wider environmental strategy to restore land around its operational areas and help preserve the Marlborough Sounds environment for generations to come. The project also contributes to regional and national biodiversity goals, including the government’s Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, which sets out goals and outcomes for the protection, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity, particularly indigenous biodiversity before 2050. The restoration work also supports Port Marlborough’s commitment to enhancing biodiversity, reducing the impacts of land use on the marine environment, and contributing to nature-related data and insights for communications and reporting, including GRI and future TNFD-aligned reporting. Keen-eyed locals may have noticed the hills around the bay looking bare over the past few months following our pine forest harvest and preparation of the land for this native planting and restoration project. Stage Two of the Shakespeare Bay project builds on the success and learnings from the first phase, where plantings of species such as mānuka and kānuka are being used as pioneers to create the foundation for future species, together with sound pest management and the ultimate goal to restore biodiversity and create a resilient native forest ecosystem. Port Marlborough’s Chief Executive Rhys Welbourn said “Restoring this landscape is a long-term commitment, we are investing in restoring biodiversity to this area that will benefit future generations and demonstrate what being an environmentally restorative port looks like in practice.” # ENDS # About Port Marlborough Port Marlborough is a key maritime gateway for Te Tau Ihu, facilitating the SH1 inter-island link, and movement of South Island trade, providing critical logistics, marine, port, and marina services. Operating from Picton, Havelock, Waikawa and remote Marlborough Sounds Sites, Port Marlborough supports a diverse range of industries, including Inter- Island ferries, export cargo, tourism, cruise industry, aquaculture, forestry, and the marine sector. The port handles over 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually and operates one of the largest marina businesses in the Southern Hemisphere through its subsidiary Marlborough Sounds Marinas. Additionally, the port manages pilotage, towage, berthing logistics for shipping throughout the Marlborough Sounds and delivers success to the region through its strategy of balancing the needs of People, Planet, Prosperity and Partnerships. The port is committed to delivering value to Marlborough’s industries while prioritising sustainability and long-term economic growth. For more information see: https://www.portmarlborough.co.nz/ For Media Enquiries contact Connie Smith | GM Communications, Port Marlborough NZ Ltd, 027 404 6135 [email protected]
