Taranaki is renowned for its natural beauty – from long stretches of black sand beaches and rugged coastline to Taranaki Maunga and the surrounding bush-clad national park.
Operating within the marine environment and the shelter of our breakwaters, we work to protect and enhance our surroundings.
Our executive leadership team and environment manager implement our Environmental Policy, investigate and introduce technology and projects to improve our environmental performance, and work with the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) and New Plymouth District Council across a range of water, air and noise monitoring and consenting requirements.
Protecting our wildlife and harbour
As well as the Taranaki Regional Council and New Plymouth District Council, we work closely with the Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society, Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, the Department of Conservation (DOC), and other conservation organisations in support of environmental and wildlife initiatives and monitoring.
We also have a close relationship with nearby Moturoa School, whose ‘trees for survival’ programme includes planting coastal indigenous varieties at Port Taranaki.
The wider Port Taranaki area, including Ngāmotu Beach and the Lee Breakwater, is a key marine playground for the public, who fish, swim, kayak, sail, and dive in the harbour, and the area is also home to a variety of native wildlife, including little blue penguins, New Zealand fur seals, and reef herons.
Port Taranaki borders the Tapuae Marine Reserve, which has been established to protect the marine habitat and to provide a safe haven for marine life to live and breed. We’ve enabled DOC to install a camera on the top of the former power station chimney to monitor the reserve.
Little blue penguins
Most vulnerable to predators is the population of little blue penguins, which breed and live in many areas across the wider port area. We work with the Ngā Motu Marine Reserve Society and DOC to install and monitor dozens of nesting boxes.
Predator-free initiative
We take an active role in the Towards Predator-Free Taranaki project, which aims to restore Taranaki’s unique wildlife and plants by removing introduced predators.
There are more than 200 predator traps on-site, including about 20 stoat traps around the port secure area. The TRC has placed further stoat traps outside the operations area.