Cannons Creek Park and Wetland
We’re upgrading Cannons Creek Park and building a new wetland. Our work will help improve te taiao (the environment), reduce flood risk, and provide new spaces for all of us to enjoy together.
Making progress at Cannons Creek Park
Our project is on track to finish around late 2027. Here’s what we’ve achieved so far.
Since work started in late 2025, our construction partners at JFC have:
- Installed 176 metres of new wastewater pipes and four manholes. In total, we’ll have more than 800 metres and 18 manholes.
- Laid 155 metres of new stormwater pipes and four manholes. Nearly 500 metres will be installed in total, along with nine manholes.
- Moved about 9,600 cubic metres of soil from the wetland area to fill Sports Field 1.
- Taken about 12,000 cubic metres of soil from the base of the wetland to build a fish refuge pond and a pipe that brings water into it. For this part of the project, two manholes and 32 metres of concrete pipes are already in the ground.
What the upgrades mean for us
Homes will be safe from flooding, and our environment will be healthier.
When work is finished in late 2027, our park will have:
- Three sports fields with better drainage to reduce flood risk
- A new wetland where the bottom (northern end) field used to be. This will improve water quality in Kenepuru Stream and Te Awarua-o-Porirua
- New stormwater and wastewater pipes through Cannons Creek Park to Warspite Avenue
- New, additional recreational spaces around the park
Park access during construction
Parts of Cannons Creek Park are closed from until late 2027.
We’ve planned our project so we can keep the pavilion and Field 1 open while work is under way.
Teams from JFC (John Fillmore Contracting) will be working on site from Monday to Saturday, between 7am and 6pm. If you’re using Field 1 or the pavilion during work hours, please read our signs and stay clear of fenced areas.
You can get to Field 1 and the pavilion on foot from Worcester Place, Warspite Avenue and Castor Crescent. Sometimes, we may need to briefly close an entrance. When this happens, signs will show you where to find the closest open entrance.
The Bothamley Park entrance will be closed for the whole project, and the Castor Crescent car park will be pedestrian access only during weekdays. It will be open to vehicles on weekends and public holidays, excluding times when the Castor Crescent entrance is temporarily closed.
Sometimes, we may need to briefly close an entrance. When this happens, signs will show you where to find the closest open entrance.
Our new community spaces
See some of the new features that are coming to our park.
Our new wetland and sports field upgrades are just part of what’s coming to Cannons Creek Park. New features include:
- A welcome area at Warspite Avenue, with information about the park and other local features.
- Whānau areas to connect and be active – from sharing kai and relaxing to spaces for climbing, sliding, jumping and swinging.
- Signs, storyboards and art that celebrates our local history, including stories that share our cultural identity.
- An outdoor classroom for learning about nature, in nature.
- A natural play area for connection to te taiao (the environment). Signs will tell our park’s natural history and share local insect and wildlife facts. We’ll also have play areas, native planting and kai forests.
- Our green areas, wetland and new spaces will be linked by accessible shared paths. No space will be taken away from the three upgraded sports fields.
What our future looks like
The new wetland will include a shared path and viewing platform.
Our project timeline
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Late 2021
Community engagement round one
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Early 2022
Wetland concepts designed
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Mid 2022
Community engagement round two
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Late 2022–early 2023
Resource consent application finalised
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Mid-late 2023
Key community spaces identified
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Late 2023 – early 2024
Bothamley Park upgrades completed
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Mid 2024
Reserve Act and resource consent applications lodged
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Late 2024
Porirua City Council approves Reserve Act application
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Early 2025
Wetland design and application approved
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Mid 2025
Designs finalised and procurement process begins
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Late 2025
Construction begins on wetland and park upgrades
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Late 2027
Construction and replanting work complete
Timelines may need to be updated as we confirm plans and make progress. If something changes, we’ll let you know as soon as we can.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has changed to the wetland and Cannons Creek Park design plans since community engagement in 2022?
On review of community feedback and the proposed design, we saw an opportunity to rethink how we could enhance the community’s connection with Cannons Creek Park.
To help create new spaces in the park that celebrate the community’s culture, heritage, and identity, we continued engaging for an additional six months in 2023. This included bringing Ngāti Toa Rangatira, local school students and a group of community members together, with the support of landscape architects and Porirua City Council.
The group’s work involved exploring ways we could include our local history into Cannons Creek Park and Wetland. As a result, our resource consent application included the construction of a wetland, accessible paths, lighting, and new recreational spaces that will help support local kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and enhance the community’s connection with Cannons Creek Park and te taiao (the environment).
Will my rates increase to pay for the upgrades?
No. The Cannons Creek Park and Wetland project will be paid for by Te Rā Nui, utilising central Government funding from various sources. Rates are set by the Porirua City Council, so these won’t be affected by the upgrades.
How will this space be accessible?
Even though Cannons Creek Park has several hills, we’ve designed our shared paths to be accessible for all community members to use, from walking and cycling to mobility scooters, wheelchairs, and whānau pushing a pram.
What is a wetland?
Wetlands are areas with plants that are often covered by water. They act like the kidneys of the Earth, because their plants and vegetation clean the water that flows into them and improves its quality downstream.
Wetlands that are man-made, like the one we’re building in Cannons Creek Park, are designed to trap soil, filter and remove contaminants before water flows downstream. They can provide homes for fish and aquatic life, which – along with the native grasses and flaxes planted along their edges – supports growing habitats for native birds, lizards, and insects.
As well as supporting water management, wetlands can be designed to include recreational and community benefits, such as new paths for walking or biking, as well as spaces to learn and connect.
Why do we need better water management solutions?
Porirua’s waterways are feeling the pressure of a growing population and changes to land use. During community engagement in 2019, the management of stormwater and wastewater was a key issue, with many people expressing concern about the quality of the waterways and the pollution of Te Awarua-o-Porirua (Porirua Harbour). These concerns were confirmed during a review of the quality of fresh water in Porirua in 2019 which found, in particular, Kenepuru Stream to be Grade E. This is the lowest water quality grade.
Run-off from rain can cause problems for our taiao (environment). A lot of rain falls on hard surfaces like roofs, driveways and roads and when it runs into the drain it can carry dust and dirt, as well as pollutants like heavy metals from old roofs and oil from our cars.
Soil and toxins then end up in our streams and harbour, polluting our waterways, harming our marine life and affecting the quality of water we use for things like swimming and fishing.
We want to improve water quality for the community by treating the stormwater entering our waterways. One of the best ways to do this is through investing in water management solutions such as wetlands and pipe upgrades.
Why do we need a water management solution in Cannons Creek Park?
The bottom (northern end) of Cannons Creek Park is a great option to create a wetland because it is at the bottom of the catchment, so the run-off from the entire upstream area can flow through the wetland and be treated before it moves into Kenepuru Stream and Te Awarua-o-Porirua (Porirua Harbour).
As part of development to the east of Cannons Creek Park, we have constructed a large pipe to divert flows from the wider residential area into the wetland. This means that more of the run-off from nearby areas can also be treated through the wetland.
How will the wetland be maintained once it’s in place?
There will be an agreed joint approach between Porirua City Council and Wellington Water to monitor and maintain the wetland once completed.
Are there other examples of wetlands around Porirua City?
There are a couple of great examples of wetlands around Porirua City. The most-commonly known is Taupō Swamp near Plimmerton. This natural, protected wetland is home to 19 native bird species and a wide variety of plants which support the local ecosystem and environment.
More recently, Wellington Water, Porirua City Council and Ngāti Toa Rangatira converted 7,000 square metres of fields to create Te Kukuwai o Toa native wetland in Elsdon. This wetland is helping to improve the health of the harbour, has created a new home for birds and insects, and is becoming a new space for locals to connect with nature.
Porirua City Council is looking at other opportunities to develop wetlands in partnership with other agencies. In a joint project with Greater Wellington Regional Council, the Council developed an artificial wetland at the foreshore opposite the Porirua Stream mouth. As well as tidying-up a neglected area of the harbour, this project is providing an additional home for birdlife.