A long-promised public reserve will finally be created on the northern tip of Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula, Te Motu Kairangi, with Ministers Tama Potaka and Chris Penk confirming the transfer of land from Land Information New Zealand to the Department of Conservation.
Around 72 hectares of land, known as Watts Peninsula or Mātai Moana, will be formalised as a recreation reserve after first being promised to Wellingtonians in 2011.
“Watts Peninsula, also known as Mātai Moana, is a prominent landmark with enormous historical and cultural significance for many New Zealanders,” Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said.
Land Information Minister Chris Penk says the Watts Peninsula public reserve was first promised to the people of Wellington and New Zealand by the government in 2011.
“I can today confirm that a reserve will be created on the northern tip of Miramar Peninsula, following the transfer of 72 hectares of land from Land Information New Zealand to the Department of Conservation. Te Papa Atawhai.”
The whenua holds much history for Māori. Te Motu Kairangi was once separated from the mainland by Te Awa-a-Taia channel before a seismic uplift joined it to Wellington.
It was home to Ngāi Tara, Rangitāne, Ngāti Ira and Te Ati Awa, who established pā, kāinga and wāhi tapu across the peninsula.
The name Mātai Moana reflects its ancestral significance and its role as a vantage point over the harbour.
Colonisation then reshaped the landscape.
In the 1840s, Scotsman James Coutts Crawford purchased the land then known as Watt’s Peninsula, drained a large lagoon called Para or Burnham Water, and began farming.
Later, it became a focal point for New Zealand’s defence strategy. Fort Ballance was constructed in 1885 as part of coastal fortifications to protect Wellington, and the area continued to house military and institutional sites through to the mid-20th century, including the now-closed Mt Crawford Prison.
“The area is home to pā sites, wāhi tapu and military heritage sites built from the 1880s through to the Second World War, including Fort Ballance,” Penk said.
“This decision will preserve a treasured part of Wellington and its rich history for future generations.”
Potaka said a charitable trust would manage the new reserve, with trustees appointed by Wellington City Council, Taranaki Whānui and DOC.
“The Trust’s role will be to protect, preserve, and promote the reserve as a place of ecological, historical, and cultural importance that all people can access and enjoy.”
Ongoing funding will be provided by Wellington City Council and Taranaki Whānui through the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust.
An official opening of the reserve will take place once it’s ready for public access.
