The Otara Waterways and lake Trust is committed to empowering and supporting the community to take action and ownership in the restoration of the Otara Waterways.
Volunteers, community organisations, youth groups, churches and schools have all contributed through clean up days and plantings.
The key community engagement projects that the Trust is currently focusing on are:
Adopt a Spot
Otara Litter Action Plan
Community Planting days
Creek Clean ups
Other projects
Otara Mall Art
At the Otara Creek Reserve community planting day in May 2016, people were able to participate in an interactive art activation to further increase their awareness of the issues facing the Otara Waterways.
People wove fabric and items into a mesh structure to create a “stream”.
The artwork was then completed by students from Ferguson Intermediate.
The art is now on display at the Otara MallStormwater catchpit art competition
As part of the 2017 Neat Streets project, an art design competition was launched on UpSouth, calling for art designs that could be painted on stormwater catchpit drains in Otara to remind people that “only rain goes down the drain”.
Year 10 students from Sir Edmund Hilary Collegiate were the winners from the competition.
The Otara Waterways and Lake Trust is now working with the students to bring the designs to life and to see the art painted onto catchpits in Otara.
MIT Otara waterways and Lake Trust Brand project
Students from Manukau Instituted of technology are helping the Otara Waterways and lake Trust to develop a brand (including logo), website and communications strategy.
The work follows on from a concept document created by MIT visual arts students there years ago and represents an ongoing partnership between the Trust and MIT.
Document