OUR PROJECTS
Project 1 - Pollution Monitoring, Removal & Prevention
Phase 1
Phase 1 is all about mobilising and educating the community. Our goal is to show people the real impact pollution has on Tauranga Moana’s beaches, estuaries and waterways. We run hands-on community clean-ups where volunteers, families, schools and local groups can see the issue up close, plastic trapped in dunes, broken glass in the sand, fishing line entangled in driftwood and stormwater debris washed ashore. By creating this direct connection to the problem, we build awareness, responsibility and a shared commitment to reducing pollution at its source. These events also give people practical ways to contribute, turning concern into meaningful action.
Phase 2
Phase 2 goes deeper, targeting the hard-to-reach locations where waste accumulates out of sight and out of mind. This includes remote shoreline pockets, tidal zones, stormwater outfalls, mangroves and areas where currents naturally trap debris. Our team removes plastic and waste from these difficult environments before it can break down into microplastics or harm wildlife.
To reach these spots efficiently, we deploy specialised equipment such as boats, ATVs and custom-built machines designed for sand, tidal flows and rugged terrain. Throughout this work, we collect data on waste types, volumes and hotspots to guide future prevention and restoration strategies.
Together, these two phases ensure we’re not just cleaning the coastline, we’re reducing long-term environmental damage and protecting the health of Tauranga Moana’s marine ecosystems.
Project 2 - Eco Barrier
The Dunes and Waterway Restoration Initiative brings together our Eco Barrier and Dune Maintenance projects into one integrated programme designed to protect Tauranga Moana’s coastlines, harbours and waterways. This initiative tackles the interconnected issues of litter, erosion, sedimentation and habitat loss by restoring natural systems that defend both the environment and the communities who depend on it.
Our work starts by intercepting pollution at its source. By establishing native eco barriers along road edges, drains and stormwater outlets, we trap litter and debris before it can reach the ocean. These living filters not only reduce waste entering the harbour but also create healthier, more resilient dune zones.
At the same time, we focus heavily on dune restoration. Our teams remove invasive weeds that destabilise sand structures, then replant with native species such as Spinifex and Pīngao to rebuild dune shape, strength and ecological function. This helps prevent coastal erosion, reduces sediment runoff into waterways and restores natural protection against storms and sea-level change.
Beyond physical restoration, the initiative enhances biodiversity by improving habitats for coastal birds, insects and dune-dependent wildlife. Collaboration is at the heart of this mahi, we work closely with councils, schools, community groups, and volunteers to plant, maintain and monitor these restored systems.
By rebuilding dunes and establishing eco barriers, this initiative strengthens coastal resilience, improves water quality and supports the long-term health of Tauranga Moana for future generations.
Project 3 - Nursery
Project Nursery is Outflow’s long-term restoration initiative focused on producing locally sourced, coastal-resilient native plants for dune and ecosystem recovery. Each summer, our team carefully harvests seed heads from Spinifex and Pīngao along the Bay of Plenty coastline. These species are essential dune builders, anchoring sands, buffering storm impacts and restoring natural coastal form.
Once collected, the seeds are dried, processed and cultivated inside the Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s nursery facilities in Tauranga. This controlled environment allows us to germinate and raise healthy, strong plants grown directly from the whakapapa of our region’s dunes, enhancing survival rates and ensuring ecological integrity. Because Spinifex and Pīngao take time to mature, these plants will remain in cultivation for up to two years before they are ready for planting in our restoration sites.
Project Nursery is about more than growing plants, it strengthens local supply, reduces pressure on commercial nurseries and builds a sustainable pipeline of native dune species for the future. It also creates hands-on conservation training opportunities for our Head Start programme participants, who help with seed processing and plant care as part of their pathway into environmental work.
By investing now in the slow, careful work of growing our own dune species, we’re safeguarding the long-term restoration of Tauranga Moana’s coastline, one seed at a time.
