Since Roskill South was first developed in the late 1950s, Freeland Reserve has been a public space for locals to enjoy. As was commonplace around the world at the time, stormwater was managed by the construction of an underground network of pipes which drained into a small pond within the Reserve. At the time, this network served its purpose, reducing potential for flooding of nearby residential properties.
Through the Roskill South redevelopment, Kāinga Ora is increasing the number and quality of homes in the neighbourhood. With this residential intensification, the catchment area for stormwater runoff has largely remained the same, however, the impenetrable area within the catchment has significantly increased. Rather than rainwater soaking into the ground and draining away, it now runs over hard surfaces like roads, driveways and roofs, towards the Reserve. There is significantly more rainwater runoff flowing into the Reserve catchment now than sixty years ago.
The Context Landscape Architecture Team adopted the globally recognised 'Blue-Green Integration' approach to urban flood resilience. This approach capitalises on the benefits of working with urban green spaces and naturalised water-flows and is regarded as a more nature-friendly means of managing urban flood risk. Blue-Green integration also offers further benefits, such as improvements in air and water quality, aesthetics, and biodiversity.
The upgrades Piritahi is undertaking in the Reserve will more efficiently manage this stormwater but the most obvious and exciting change is to the design of the network which will allow Oakley Creek (Te Auaunga Awa) - that runs through Freeland Reserve - to be returned to its more natural state.
What’s changing?
Size. During earthworks, Piritahi has removed somewhere in the order of 3,500 cubic metres of dirt from the Reserve, to increase the volume that can be contained in the wetland area. Flood walls are being installed around the Reserve too, so that when there’s a lot of rain, surrounding properties and streets are protected from flooding.
When it rains, water will be held within the reserve and slowly and steadily released into the existing pipe network. This will minimise downstream flooding effects and the likelihood of network failure during and after significant rainfall events.
Stream Daylighting. It is becoming essential for growing cities like Auckland to reduce their environmental footprint and thrive in harmony with nature. Daylighting streams essentially means opening them back up again and returning them as much as possible to their natural state. The existing buried pipes in the reserve will be removed and replaced with manmade streams, ‘daylighting’ water that flows between Point A and Point B. Wetlands are established which regulate the flow of water and encourage the return of natural ecological habitats.
Water Treatment. Erosion and flooding can occur when soil and other runoff enters the stormwater network and starts to build up. Stormwater treatment devices are frequently used to filter silt and debris out of the water, reducing potential for build-up. In the case of Freeland Reserve, a ‘sediment forebay’ will be used, but there is also a significant focus on natural filtration, achieved through strategic planting of native wetland plants and grasses.
Earthworks continue throughout the reserve to prepare for the construction of paved walkways and viewing platforms, and planting has begun, allowing the green park to begin to grow again! Piritahi is working hard to complete this work, ready for the Reserve to open to the public in early 2022.
Below is a before and after aerial shot of Roskill South, showing in one quick snap shot the way the neighbourhood is changing!
Since Roskill South was first developed in the late 1950s, Freeland Reserve has been a public space for locals to enjoy. As was commonplace around the world at the time, stormwater was managed by the construction of an underground network of pipes which drained into a small pond within the Reserve. At the time, this network served its purpose, reducing potential for flooding of nearby residential properties.
Through the Roskill South redevelopment, Kāinga Ora is increasing the number and quality of homes in the neighbourhood. With this residential intensification, the catchment area for stormwater runoff has largely remained the same, however, the impenetrable area within the catchment has significantly increased. Rather than rainwater soaking into the ground and draining away, it now runs over hard surfaces like roads, driveways and roofs, towards the Reserve. There is significantly more rainwater runoff flowing into the Reserve catchment now than sixty years ago.
The Context Landscape Architecture Team adopted the globally recognised 'Blue-Green Integration' approach to urban flood resilience. This approach capitalises on the benefits of working with urban green spaces and naturalised water-flows and is regarded as a more nature-friendly means of managing urban flood risk. Blue-Green integration also offers further benefits, such as improvements in air and water quality, aesthetics, and biodiversity.
The upgrades Piritahi is undertaking in the Reserve will more efficiently manage this stormwater but the most obvious and exciting change is to the design of the network which will allow Oakley Creek (Te Auaunga Awa) - that runs through Freeland Reserve - to be returned to its more natural state.
What’s changing?
Size. During earthworks, Piritahi has removed somewhere in the order of 3,500 cubic metres of dirt from the Reserve, to increase the volume that can be contained in the wetland area. Flood walls are being installed around the Reserve too, so that when there’s a lot of rain, surrounding properties and streets are protected from flooding.
When it rains, water will be held within the reserve and slowly and steadily released into the existing pipe network. This will minimise downstream flooding effects and the likelihood of network failure during and after significant rainfall events.
Stream Daylighting. It is becoming essential for growing cities like Auckland to reduce their environmental footprint and thrive in harmony with nature. Daylighting streams essentially means opening them back up again and returning them as much as possible to their natural state. The existing buried pipes in the reserve will be removed and replaced with manmade streams, ‘daylighting’ water that flows between Point A and Point B. Wetlands are established which regulate the flow of water and encourage the return of natural ecological habitats.
Water Treatment. Erosion and flooding can occur when soil and other runoff enters the stormwater network and starts to build up. Stormwater treatment devices are frequently used to filter silt and debris out of the water, reducing potential for build-up. In the case of Freeland Reserve, a ‘sediment forebay’ will be used, but there is also a significant focus on natural filtration, achieved through strategic planting of native wetland plants and grasses.
Earthworks continue throughout the reserve to prepare for the construction of paved walkways and viewing platforms, and planting has begun, allowing the green park to begin to grow again! Piritahi is working hard to complete this work, ready for the Reserve to open to the public in early 2022.
Below is a before and after aerial shot of Roskill South, showing in one quick snap shot the way the neighbourhood is changing!
Since Roskill South was first developed in the late 1950s, Freeland Reserve has been a public space for locals to enjoy. As was commonplace around the world at the time, stormwater was managed by the construction of an underground network of pipes which drained into a small pond within the Reserve. At the time, this network served its purpose, reducing potential for flooding of nearby residential properties.
Through the Roskill South redevelopment, Kāinga Ora is increasing the number and quality of homes in the neighbourhood. With this residential intensification, the catchment area for stormwater runoff has largely remained the same, however, the impenetrable area within the catchment has significantly increased. Rather than rainwater soaking into the ground and draining away, it now runs over hard surfaces like roads, driveways and roofs, towards the Reserve. There is significantly more rainwater runoff flowing into the Reserve catchment now than sixty years ago.
The Context Landscape Architecture Team adopted the globally recognised 'Blue-Green Integration' approach to urban flood resilience. This approach capitalises on the benefits of working with urban green spaces and naturalised water-flows and is regarded as a more nature-friendly means of managing urban flood risk. Blue-Green integration also offers further benefits, such as improvements in air and water quality, aesthetics, and biodiversity.
The upgrades Piritahi is undertaking in the Reserve will more efficiently manage this stormwater but the most obvious and exciting change is to the design of the network which will allow Oakley Creek (Te Auaunga Awa) - that runs through Freeland Reserve - to be returned to its more natural state.
What’s changing?
Size. During earthworks, Piritahi has removed somewhere in the order of 3,500 cubic metres of dirt from the Reserve, to increase the volume that can be contained in the wetland area. Flood walls are being installed around the Reserve too, so that when there’s a lot of rain, surrounding properties and streets are protected from flooding.
When it rains, water will be held within the reserve and slowly and steadily released into the existing pipe network. This will minimise downstream flooding effects and the likelihood of network failure during and after significant rainfall events.
Stream Daylighting. It is becoming essential for growing cities like Auckland to reduce their environmental footprint and thrive in harmony with nature. Daylighting streams essentially means opening them back up again and returning them as much as possible to their natural state. The existing buried pipes in the reserve will be removed and replaced with manmade streams, ‘daylighting’ water that flows between Point A and Point B. Wetlands are established which regulate the flow of water and encourage the return of natural ecological habitats.
Water Treatment. Erosion and flooding can occur when soil and other runoff enters the stormwater network and starts to build up. Stormwater treatment devices are frequently used to filter silt and debris out of the water, reducing potential for build-up. In the case of Freeland Reserve, a ‘sediment forebay’ will be used, but there is also a significant focus on natural filtration, achieved through strategic planting of native wetland plants and grasses.
Earthworks continue throughout the reserve to prepare for the construction of paved walkways and viewing platforms, and planting has begun, allowing the green park to begin to grow again! Piritahi is working hard to complete this work, ready for the Reserve to open to the public in early 2022.
Below is a before and after aerial shot of Roskill South, showing in one quick snap shot the way the neighbourhood is changing!