Track network gives access to wild space

Walkers and explorers in Wellington will have access to the wilder corner of Wellington, with a track network plan for Te Kopahou Reserve given the go-ahead by the council.

The reserve, one of the city’s wilder ones, is rigorously predator-controlled and earmarked for kiwi in a plan by Capital Kiwi to establish a population.

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the plan, which they believed struck a balance between managing and protecting the rugged landscape while enabling better recreational access for people.

The plan includes improvements to tracks and entrances, new tracks, shelters, water sources, signs, interpretation and seats, and weed management. Work would begin in 2023, if council funding was approved.