Gullies and Natural areas

Gullies

Work is underway to restore Hamilton’s gullies, which cover 8% (7.5km2) of our city.

Once rich with native flora and fauna, over time our gullies were cleared and often used to dump weeds and waste.

Today, the gullies are seen as important natural areas in a largely urban environment, providing:

• habitat for native species such as long-tailed bats, tuuii, bellbirds, kereruu, and kookopu and other aquatic life
• natural corridors for wildlife
• green space for recreation
• vital parts of the city’s walkways and cycleways.

Hamilton has four major gully systems – Kirikiriroa, Mangakootukutuku, Mangaonua and Waitawhiriwhiri – and many minor systems.

Natural areas

Only 2% native vegetation cover remains in Hamilton, but there are still natural areas throughout the city, including:

• pockets of original native vegetation in parks and reserves, such as the kahikatea in Jubilee Bush
• major restoration sites such as Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park
• gullies such as Mangakootukutuku
• significant natural areas on private and public land, such as Lake Rotoroa or parts of the banks of the Waikato River, which must be identified and protected by law

Our natural areas can provide many types of benefits:

• individual - improve our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing
• social - connecting communities
• economic - encourage tourism and provide ecosystem services such as pollination for agriculture
• environmental - regulate heat, rainfall, wind and air quality
• cultural - important for Maaori cultural practices, and part of our unique identity.