Today we held our regular Thursday volunteer session. A small group of regular volunteers came along on this sunny, blue-sky Autumn day. We focused on mulching around some native plantings that had become overgrown with grass and other weeds. Without regular maintenance and management, it is easy for the native plants to become overwhelmed by voracious weeds, competing with the natives for precious light, nutrients and water.

That is why laying cardboard and spreading a thick layer of mulch over the top is important to help suppress the weeds and give our native plants every chance to grow and thrive. We even need to use the weedeater at times to more easily manage the grass before we can lay the cardboard and mulch.

Being outside on such a beautiful day, laughing and mucking around with our fellow volunteers, having a cuppa after the hard mahi and doing our bit for wetland regeneration is what it’s all about.

Have you seen the Easter Bunny? We have!!! If you go down to Bullock Creek, you may even see two…!

Happy Easter from all of us here at FOBC- we’re almost halfway through the year and powering through our work. We have been having plenty of visitors to the wetlands, including some preschool groups, as well as locals walking through the wetlands and plenty of visitors too.

Our volunteer session time has changed, to fit with the changing weather and hours of daylight. Currently Thursdays 2pm-4pm; meet at the corner of Stone St near the old hatchery site. All welcome!

On Thursday 10th April, we held a thank-you picnic on the wetlands boardwalk platform in the late afternoon Autumn sun. A group of volunteers and Trustees enjoyed a grazing platter, tea and coffee and even a wine (thanks to Sue and Andrew), and enjoyed some social time together, chatting and catching up after the first of our afternoon volunteer sessions for the year (now 2-4pm!)

We had perfect weather and even had a Kahu make a flying visit and a furry friend drop by for some sniffs and pets!

Thanks to Paul for the great idea, the Trustees for attending and backing the event, and of course, our volunteers, without whom we couldn’t do the wetlands restoration work that makes Bullock Creek so special.

Today we want to recognise the importance of partnerships, collaborations and funders to the continued mahi of Friends of Bullock Creek. When organisations work together, resources, knowledge, skills and efficiencies can be shared, meaning more capability within the community for environmental, ecosystem and change and benefit for everyone.

 With the continued collaboration and partnership with key organisations like Te Kākano, WAI Wānaka, Otago Catchment Community Inc, Tiaki Bees, Wānaka Backyard Trapping, Otago Regional Council and Otago Fish & Game, we benefit from their resources and their own staff and volunteer bases, providing the land on which we undertake the restoration work, providing support and guidance, helping us to plant the native plants, and monitoring the creek and waterway health. Plus so much more.

And without funding from key funders like Otago Catchment Community Inc, Patagonia and Central Lakes Trust, the wetlands restoration work we do at Bullock Creek wouldn’t happen. Period.

And let’s not forget our wonderful volunteers, who we continue to uplift and celebrate, in being there week in, week out over the past 9 years, during the rain and the sunshine, doing the hard mahi of weeding, mulching, and planting (and everything in between) to help restore Bullock Creek wetlands and springs to the space we all enjoy now.

Thank you to everyone who makes, and has made, Bullock Creek what it is today.

Be sure to check out and support all these fabulous organisations- together, we all make a strong community, passionate about environmental and ecosystem health and wellbeing.

Over the next couple of months we will be profiling some of our wonderful volunteers, highlighting what draws people to volunteering with Friends of Bullock Creek at the wetlands, what people get out of volunteering and why volunteering is important.

We think our volunteers are pretty special and want to recognise the hard mahi that they contribute to the group and the wetlands. Without our volunteers, Bullock Creek wouldn’t be what it is today.

This month we profile Blanaid- a regular seasonal resident of Wānaka.

When did you start volunteering with FOBC? 

I began in January 2025. I had visited Bullock Creek and found it a beautiful, restful place and I felt I wanted to be involved in caring for it.

Why did you start? 

I found the work very satisfying and could see a visible difference our group made after our 2 hour session. The people are very welcoming and eager to answer any questions that arise. Tea and biscuits after the sessions are good for getting to know the team.

What keeps you coming back as a volunteer? Why is volunteering important to you?

Volunteering is important to me and I am involved in several groups back in the UK. That time worn phrase ‘giving back’ is spot on - Wanaka gives me such enjoyment when I come each summer for a few months, that I am very keen to do my bit, however small.

What would you say to others about volunteering? 

I would encourage anybody considering helping at Bullock Creek to give it a go and learn more about nature in this beautiful place.

If you’re interested in volunteering with us, our sessions run on Thursdays; currently 9am-11am, with a change back soon to afternoons 2pm-4pm. Keep an eye on our social media for session time updates. Contact FOBC at info@fobc.kiwi for more information.

The QLDC earthworks application

Some of you may have seen the front page article of the Wanaka Sun on 21 Feb. In summary, QLDC is applying to the Otago Regional Council (ORC) for a resource consent to carry out earthworks at the NW corner of the Bullock Creek Wetlands.

Click here for a copy of the QLDC Application filed on 16 January 2025.

The location for the proposed earthworks is the open grass section bordering the Alpha Series residential development and the Wanaka Retirement village - refer to the photograph in the newspaper article above. It is a lovely shady area with a number of mature trees and a seating area.  The Wanaka Retirement village also has a gate through their fence to access this area.   

No notification or consultation with FOBC

QLDC have submitted their application on a “non-notified” basis claiming that there are no affected parties other than the Wetlands land owner Otago Fish & Game Council (F&G) who have given their consent.

F&G have agreed to these earthworks being carried out on their land by QLDC without any meaningful consultation with FOBC and without any recognition of our ongoing voluntary stewardship of their land.

According to the QLDC application, the earthworks are for the purpose of “cleaning & polishing” the contaminated stormwater (SW) that currently floods illegally from the sediment pond on the Alpha Series residential development. QLDC proposes that these earthworks will alleviate some of the SW pollution but it will still mean that all SW from the Alpha series will be directed into Bullock Creek. F&G have told FOBC that the works are part of an “interim solution” pending the installation of a SW pipe across their adjacent Hatchery site. However F&G will not release any further details to FOBC or the public about the “final solution” as they have signed a non-disclosure agreement with QLDC.

What is the fix to the illegal SW flooding of Bullock Creek?

The QLDC plan back in 2022 was to pipe SW through a “constructed wetland” on the Wanaka showgrounds area. Click here for further information about this proposal. In 2023, QLDC deferred funding for these works under their 10 Year Plan citing budgetary constraints. Click here for further background.

It is important to also note that F&G are the owners of the old Hatchery site immediately adjacent the Wetlands site. They have recently completed a boundary alignment and are preparing to sell about 1500 m2 of land for development. This is the section where the old F&G hut is currently located. Referring to this map - the area to be sold off is circled in red.

The remaining land circled in light green is where the originally proposed SW pipe would cross once out of the Wetlands site. For QLDC to install this SW pipe, F&G needs to give QLDC an easement across the site. Under general property law, a person seeking an easement over another person’s property is required to pay some form of compensation to the person whose land is subject to the new easement. F&G have advised FOBC that there is some form of agreement in place between themselves and QLDC but it is the subject of a non-disclosure agreement.

If F&G wish to sell the remaining land (marked green) at some time in the future, they will be required to subdivide the Hatchery section from the Wetlands with the consent of QLDC.

FOBC’s Memorandum of Understanding with F&G.

In 2022, FOBC signed an MOU with F&G to ensure the ongoing mutual support of the restoration efforts at the Wetlands. FOBC also understood that F&G game supported FOBC’s stance that no polluted stormwater from the Alpha Series subdivision should be allowed to enter Bullock Creek and negotiated this MOU on the basis that the solution for the SW flooding problem would be resolved with the installation of a SW pipe. Clause 6 of the MOU specifically provides:-

“A proposed Stormwater Pipeline (installed by QLDC via an easement) may be installed through the Bullock Creek Wetland area during the term of this agreement. FOBC will co-operate with F&G as far as possible during the installation to ensure that the project proceeds without disruption, and that damage to the wetland area and plantings in (sic) minimised.

For the sake of transparency, the grassed area to the north of Bullock Creek is proposed for subdivision within the term of this MOU. This may require the removal of shed (including those owned by FOBC) and may interrupt access to the site from time to time. F&G will keep FOBC up to date with any such impediments to access.”

What are FOBC’s concerns about the QLDC/F&G earthworks?

In a nutshell, the Trustees of FOBC have the following concerns:-

• Polluted stormwater run off from the Alpha Series retention pond will continue to enter Bullock Creek for an undefined period of time. There is nothing in the QLDC application that refers to the earthworks being part of a larger proposal for fixing the stormwater problem.

• There is an unknown detrimental affect on the existing FOBC boardwalk by way of allowing a flow path beneath it.

• Unknown restriction or cessation of vehicle access necessary for FOBC site maintenance work and access by the FOBC Bee Keeper for hive support.

• Inundation of the site preventing the existing public amenity of the NW corner of the site. Note: there have been 21 recorded flooding incidents since 2016.

• Until the planting out of the earthworks reaches maturity, there is an increased risk of further pollution of Bullock Creek with sediment despite the mitigation measures outlined in the QLDC Application.

• F&G cannot confirm that the earthworks are part of a bigger project to prevent SW entering Bullock Creek because they are have a non-disclosure agreement with QLDC

• F&G will not be conducting any independent review of the QLDC’s earthwork proposal to ensure that the works will indeed achieve the intended results. FOBC remains unclear how the QLDC/F&G earthworks will assist to reduce SW pollution of Bullock Creek as an interim solution and when or if there will be a “final solution” with the installation of a SW pipe?

• FOBC does not know how many trees will be removed, what the revegetation plan will look like and who will be responsible for planting maintaining this area of the Wetlands. All the work that FOBC currently carries out at the Wetlands is supported by dedicated local volunteers, Corrections NZ workers and supported by local funding organisations. F&G provides only $2,000 per year in cash and support in kind through use of their Hatchery site and access to plant supplies and equipment.

fobc submission to orc requesting notification and to be considered an affected party.

Accordingly FOBC has made a submission to ORC who are responsible for reviewing the QLDC application. Essentially FOBC is asking that the ORC reject QLDC’s request for their application to be non-notified and that FOBC be considered an affected party for the purposes of the consent application.

Click here for a copy of our email submission to the ORC planner.

As you may have seen from the Wanaka Sun article, many of the immediate neighbours of the Wetlands and Bullock Creek have also written to the ORC expressing their concerns about efficacy of the proposed earthworks.

The ORC was due to make a decision on 13 February, but has since put this application on hold pending a request to QLDC for further information.

why i should be concerned?

• If you are a landowner or resident immediately adjacent Bullock Creek or the Wetlands on Stone Street you are affected by the QLDC Application when-

  • stormwater pollution means you can no longer swim in Bullock Creek or Lake Wanaka,

  • the water in Bullock Creek no longer runs clear due to sediment from stormwater runoff,

  • you no longer see trout, eels, kōaro and birdlife in the Creek,

  • trout no longer longer spawn in the Creek over winter due to the gravel beds being covered in silt,

  • your property value decreases because you have a polluted stream running through your property,

  • your insurance premiums increase or you no longer can get insurance as the QLDC has changed the flood zoning near Bullock Creek to take into account the increased SW flow from the Alpha Series development in to Bullock Creek. Refer to QLDC new Flood Hazard mapping 2022.

• If you are a resident or land owner in Wanaka, you will be affected when you can no longer -

  • safely swim in Bullock Creek or Roys Bay

  • drink the water from Roys Bay without the QLDC investing further in water treatment infrastructure and increasing your rates to pay for that infrastructure.

• If you are an investor in business or property in Wanaka your financial investment will be affected -

  • when water pollution in Wanaka becomes more widely known and affects the desirability of people living or visiting our town. We have already seen the beginning of “No Swimming” and “Boil Water” Notices being widely reported in Wanaka and Queenstown in 2024.

• If you are the owner of a marina berth or mooring in Roys Bay your financial investment will be affected -

  • when access to your mooring or marina berth is prevented or impeded by the expanding Bullock delta caused by the increased sediment load washing down Bullock Creek.

• If you are a keen fisherman you will be affected when trout no longer spawn in Bullock Creek due to the silting of the stream gravel beds and the pollution of Bullock Creek and waters of Lake Wanaka result in a decline of trout stocks.

if i am concerned….. what can i do?

Contact ORC

Please take a moment to contact the ORC Planner currently considering the QLDC Application outlining how you are affected and why you believe the application should be publicly notified.

Alexa Harrington +64 274215737 | Alexa.Harrington@orc.govt.nz 
ORC Resource Management Application RM25.020 filed by QLDC on 16 January 2025

Help FOBC Trustees?

We need more expertise!

Do you have any particular expertise in stormwater management? Earthwork design and / or management? Water quality expertise? Environmental Protection or Planning experience? Are you willing to donate your time to advise the FOBC Trustees and assist us to more fully understand the Earthworks proposal and its implications for our restoration work at the Wetlands and the long term water quality of Bullock Creek.

The resources available to our small Board of Trustees are limited and any offer of additional expertise will be gratefully received! We promise you won’t have to become a Trustee or attend boring meetings!!

If you can assist, please contact Roger Gardiner 021 117 7220 or Andy Oxley 021 107 5520.

Over the past few months (and even well before then) water pollution and water safety issues have reared their ugly head in Wānaka and surrounds. Most recently the Wānaka Sun reported on the presence of human faecal matter in Lake Wānaka, with concern that people are bathing in the lake and nearby waterways.

Concern over local waterway protection related to continuing development and infrastructure has also been raised as possible causes of water pollution in our region. Developers, in conjunction with QLDC for their oversight and approvals of land developments, have an obligation to ensure that the environment is being considered and any pollution risks are mitigated in any development. To find out more about what QLDC is doing about water pollution and environmental protection management in the context of infrastructure and land development, contact Members of the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board: Environment- Linda Joll (+64 21 921 665 or linda.joll@qldc.govt.nz); Economic- Lyal Cocks (+64 27 438 1443 or lyal.cocks@qldc.govt.nz).

If you’re concerned about water quality and safety, you can contact us at info@fobc.kiwi, or contact WAI Wānaka at getinvolved@waiwanaka.nz. You can also report instances of pollution by calling Otago Regional Council on 0800 800 033 or by completing a report online at https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/report-pollution/

*Find out more about water quality monitoring at https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/water-care/water-quality/

You can check out the original Wānaka Sun article here: https://digital.thewanakasun.co.nz/html5/default.aspx

Managing the prolific weed Gunnera tinctoria

Part II

Big, big, big gunnera leaves

The removal and management work

A ‘cut and paste’ method is being used to manage and remove the gunnera found along Bullock Creek and its tributaries. Firstly, the plant stalks are cut down with shears and saw; some of the stalks are more than 15cm in diameter and can weigh at least 7kg or more, depending on how big the leaves are. Secondly, after the stalks have been cut as close to the ground as possible, a herbicide paste is applied directly to the exposed stem, which works to completely kill the plants, spreading through the remaining vascular system. Given that the application of herbicide is being done in the close vicinity of the creek and nearby to other non-target plants, Paul and Ed are very careful to ensure the targeted and judicious use of the herbicide to the gunnera being cut down.

Ed pasting the stumps

This combination of physical and chemical management of gunnera helps to firstly manage existing stands of the plant, whilst also reducing their ability to spread and grow elsewhere. While the cutting and pasting method is effective, it is important to note that even once the plants have been cut down and poisoned, the remaining stumps and root systems can still impact the immediate vicinity and the ability of other plants to repopulate that area. Therefore, it is of critical importance to identify and manage gunnera when it is a smaller plant, to avoid the potential larger-scale problems they can cause as they grow into mature, and very large, plants.

Cutting the last one…a big job

 After being cut down, the stalks and leaves of gunnera are taken to the green waste disposal site where they are then mulched and process to become compost or topsoil. A nice closed loop from foe to friend in the garden.

A trailerful of gunnera, bursting at the seams

What can I do to help?

If you’re a landowner or have responsibility for any creek-side land, you can do your bit by removing gunnera where and when you see it. You can also contact us for more information or for help in the process. For more information about managing gunnera check out this page from ORC: https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity-and-pests/plant-pests/gunnera/

If you love the wetlands and waterways regeneration work we do, you may want to volunteer with us or you may want to make a donation to help continue our work. Check out our website for more information www.fobc.kiwi

With thanks to Paul and Ed, Central Lakes Trust and Wānaka Rotary, and cooperation from local landowners enabling the important weed removal work in the name of ecosystem and waterway health.

References

Environment Southland Regional Council. (n.d.). Chilean rhubarb. https://pesthub.es.govt.nz/?pwsystem=true&pwid=543&sort=alpha

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. (2025). Gunnera tinctoria.

https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/gunnera-tinctoria/

Otago Regional Council. (2025). Gunnera. https://www.orc.govt.nz/environment/biosecurity-and-pests/plant-pests/gunnera/

Managing the prolific weed Gunnera tinctoria

Part I

Background

Otago Regional Council (ORC) recently GPS-mapped sites along Bullock Creek in Wānaka, identifying eighteen sites where gunnera (Gunnera tinctoria) was found alongside the creek and its tributaries. From these eighteen sites, with funding generously provided by Central Lakes Trust and Wānaka Rotary, Paul and Ed from FOBC have begun gunnera removal, with additional sited identified as needing gunnera removal numbering at least forty.

The removal work began around mid-February and is in conjunction with private landowners who have given permission to access the tributaries running through their land where gunnera is growing. Paul is door-knocking houses based on the eighteen original sites identified by ORC. It is critical to have landowner cooperation with this project, to allow access to first identify and then remove the gunnera from alongside Bullock Creek. One landowner described how they’re happy to be involved because it means the health of the waterways is being looked after.

What is gunnera and why is it a problem?

Gunnera, also known as Chilean rhubarb, is a large growing clump-forming plant, classified as a National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) plant and a DOC-identified environmental weed[1] in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The plants can grow so big, with some of the larger leaves measuring at least a metre wide or more, which is massive! The shade they create negates ideal light and growing conditions for other plants, essentially out-competing other plants for light and space; Ed says that only some shade-loving species can survive in the midst of gunnera. Because gunnera easily spreads and grows more seedlings through its root system and even from stalk cuttings, it poses a huge competition risk to native plant species that would otherwise grow in similar conditions.

Look how big just one stalk and leaf is compared to Paul!

 “They can take over hectares”, according to Paul, who goes on to explain that “the spores release when its mature”, creating ample opportunity for gunnera to spread.

How does gunnera spread?

Spores from mature plants are dispersed through the waterways, hence why so many are found along Bullock Creek and its tributaries, as well as being spread by birds[2]. The plant is often found in high-rainfall and wet areas, and has even been spotted on West Coast beaches.

Big heavy flower heads full of seeds.

What is involved in gunnera management?

A lot of hard work! It is a physical job removing gunnera, and Paul and Ed have been hard at work attending the eighteen identified sites and the additional sites where gunnera is known to be growing along Bullock Creek and its tributaries. Stay tuned for the next instalment to find out more about the removal and management work as well as ways you can be involved in this waterway health initiative.

References

[1] New Zealand Plant Conservation Network 2025 and Otago Regional Council 2025

[2] Environment Southland Regional Council n.d.

If you’ve ever been for a walk through the Bullock Creek wetlands, you may have noticed smaller or less obvious introduced species. While the ongoing wetland restoration work primarily focuses on the removal or management of larger species including crack willow and blackberry, look closely and you may just spy some well known, or at least, some commonly found, introduced weeds that are also considered to be edible and medicinal herbs.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Mullein (Verbascum thapsus), Mint (Mentha spp.), Self heal (Prunella vulgaris), Wild lettuce. (Lactuca spp.), Mallow (Malva spp.), Plantain (Plantago spp.), St John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) and Red clover (Trifolium pratense) are just some of the medicinal herbs to be found around the Bullock Creek site.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) and Mallow (Malva spp.) Who else is hiding in here?

These herbs arrive at Bullock Creek by way of wind, waterways and pollinators, carrying seeds that end up growing in the prime wetlands soil.

From an ecological perspective, these plants can provide pollen for pollinator species, nectar for insects like bees, and habitat for insects and lizards. When you see them around, you’ll likely notice that they aren’t growing prolifically or causing major ecological concerns within the wetlands.

Even though there is minimal negative ecological of these weeds in the wetland, if you see a weed, pick a weed! Just be careful as you tread through the wetlands that you don’t stand on a native seedling or plant, and be careful to not get your feet stuck in the spongy earth!

Mint is a well known and grown herb and has been used for digestive complaints. Mallow leaves and flowers can be soothing to our skin and internal mucosa. Mullein flowers can be infused in olive oil and used as a remedy for ear aches while the leaves can be useful for some lung complaints. Plantain leaves can be applied to the skin to draw out splinters and the like, and have also been used for soothing the digestive tract. And Self-heal has been used to heal external wounds and as a general tonic when taken internally.

Friendly weeds tea recipe

A few springs of fresh or dried mint leaves

A few fresh or dried mallow leaves and flowers

A cooling and soothing brew…steep the herbs in boiling water in a tea pot for 15 mins. Serve with a dash of honey or as is. Sit in nature and enjoy slowly sipping your foraged herbal tea!

The purple splash of Self heal (Prunella vulgaris)

Always be sure to correctly identify edible and/or medicinal plants before using them, as some herbs can look similar to toxic plants, and be aware when harvesting weeds that you do so in an area that is unlikely to have been treated or exposed to chemicals or pollutants. Always seek professional health advice to make sure herbs are safe for your specific situation before using them. The information provided here is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical and/or health advice.