Waipukurau, Hawkes Bay
Hawkes Bay Regional Council
2012

Tukipo Wetlands
The project is a trial to test the benefits of the wetland (and in particular the floating wetlands) in reducing the resulting nutrients from a 250ha catchment of pastoral land that feeds into the Waipukarau end of the Tukipo river.  Set up in a drain adjacent to the stream the technology works by allowing the roots of the floating island plants to strip nutrients directly from the water source rather than through the soil. Bespoke worked in partnership with Hawkes Bay Regional Council and Kauri Park Nursery to facilitate the design of the wetland area, including the floating wetlands, marginal, stream edge and riparian planting. The design focused on integrating the floating wetlands into a wider wetland planting structure so that the linear nature of the islands could blend in once planting matured.