Motuweka Havelock Estuary Restoration

Motuweka/Havelock estuary is the largest in the Marlborough Sounds, situated at the head of Te Hoiere /Pelorus Sound, adjacent to the township of Motuweka/Havelock. The Te Hoiere/Pelorus and Kaituna rivers flow into the estuary, which is a place of abundance with cultural significance, natural beauty, biodiversity, recreation, and industry. However, the estuary is facing a range of environmental challenges that threaten these values. Pollution, sediment, invasive species, and the decline of marine life are among the primary concerns. In 2024-2025 Te Hoiere Project funded a project to develop a community-led restoration plan, and this plan was finalised in December 2025.

Cultural Significance

Motuweka is a fowling term used to describe the practice of rendering a weka lame and tying it to a post, so it would call out to other weka to be harvested. From the 1840s, the Crown began imposing its authority, and Governor George Grey set about purchasing large areas of the South Island. In 1856, Ngāti Kuia signed a Deed of Sale with the Crown. The sale included the land on which Motuweka (Havelock) now sits. In return, Ngāti Kuia were promised schools, hospitals and enough land to cater for the immediate and future needs of the people. As is the story of colonisation, the Crown fell short on its promises.

Motuweka (Havelock) was a stopping point for Matuahautere, an important tīpuna (ancestor) who discovered and named many of the sites that Ngāti Kuia hold sacred. The river mouth was said to be carved out by the taniwha Kaikaiawaro upon arriving in Motuweka, as the estuary was too shallow for the waka to continue his journey up Te Hoiere awa.

• Learn more about Matuahautere as he travelled across the Raukawakawa Moana (Cook Strait) and through the Marlborough Sounds.
• Tamariki can also learn more about Matuahautere and Te Hoiere awa through this short video by Tātai Aho Rau (LEARNZ).

Ecological Values

In 2001, Marlborough District Council began State of the Environment monitoring in the estuary, about 800 hectares were mapped to establish a broad-scale baseline record. This monitoring looks at vegetation as well as intertidal substrate, or the material that forms the seabed in the area between the high- and low-tide marks. In March 2024, this monitoring found that seagrass habitat had significantly declined in both its extent and density. Seagrass is a positive indicator of a healthy estuary, and since 2014, 21 hectares of seagrass has been lost in Motuweka/Havelock. Only 1.1 hectares remained in 2024 and, of this, 97% had less than 50% cover.

The estuary is regionally significant as one of the largest salt marsh areas (189 hectares) in Te Tauihu Nelson/Marlborough. The presence of endemic and rare species highlights the area's importance for biodiversity. The area is home to a rich variety of birds, including Weka, Spoonbills, Fernbird, Banded Rail, Herons, Kotuku (White Heron), Kotare (Kingfisher), Shags, and the rare Mātuku (Bittern). It's also home to flounder, mussels, pacific oysters, native oysters, and tuna in the freshwater areas.

Click here to learn more about the ecological significance of seagrass in the Marlborough Sounds.