The light soils and excellent climate on the Kapiti Coast made the growing of plants relatively straight forward. However, it also made the weed growth prevalent in the early stages of the project. Through an intense programme of spraying, weeds have now been largely eradicated from the road corridor.
The native re-vegetation planting palette has been designed to be self-sustaining through natural seed dispersal. After three years, this is now evident with seedlings appearing in many areas.
Passing through both urban and rural areas, shelter plantings were installed to form noise barriers and achieve visual mitigation. The design incorporated many new wetlands which have encouraged birdlife and increased fish populations. Natural Habitats is proud to have assisted with the shared goal of making the expressway fit into an urban landscape and contribute significantly to New Zealand’s biodiversity goals.