Restoring Te Puhinui Together

A Living River at the Heart of the Community

When you care for an awa (river), you care for everyone who calls its banks home. The 12-kilometre Puhinui Stream winds through South Auckland, running from Tōtara Park near the Botanic Gardens in Manurewa, through Papatoetoe, before meeting the waters of the Manukau Harbour.

For generations, Te Puhinui provided food, fresh water, and spiritual sustenance to local iwi. Over decades of rapid urban growth and industrial development, runoff and waste degraded its clear waters.

Today, a unified movement is underway to return vitality to this living taonga (treasure). We believe real beauty must care for the communities and nature we share. That is why we partner alongside the Sustainable Business Network and Te Pū-a-Ngā Maara to help restore the mauri (life force) of Te Puhinui, connecting people back to place from maunga to moana (mountain to sea).

Rangatahi-Led Restoration Rooted in Ancestral Wisdom

True environmental regeneration begins with people. Te Pū-a-Ngā Maara grew from the collective vision of three local South Auckland marae: Makaurau, Mānurewa, and Pūkaki. They guide restoration work through mātauranga Māori (ancestral knowledge), placing local rangatahi (young people) at the very centre of environmental care.

Through hands-on stream restoration, water monitoring, and eco-sourcing native flora, rangatahi develop long-term skills in nature-based careers. They gain practical environmental employment on their own whenua (land). Instead of viewing conservation as an isolated task, the team looks at the entire catchment as an interconnected living system where soil health, water purity, and human wellbeing thrive together.

"Restoring the Puhinui is not a choice, it is a must for the benefit of coming generations."
— Krissy Bishop, Mana Whakahaere, Te Pū-a-Ngā Maara

By funding this work, we support a self-sustaining pathway where rangatahi protect their local waterways while gaining meaningful qualifications and green jobs for the future.

Uplifting the Mauri of Nature and People

Reviving a stream means healing the entire living environment around it. Runoff pollutants, invasive weeds, and industrial refuse have choked parts of Te Puhinui for years. With focused community planting days and stream bank stabilisations, indigenous plants filter sediments before they enter the water, creating shaded pools where native fish and wildlife can return.

Every plant grown and put into the soil represents collective action. Since 2024, our collaborative efforts have seen tens of thousands of native plants propagated and planted, bringing hundreds of community volunteers together along the catchment to turn ancestral environmental values into lasting ecological restoration.

"Regenerating nature is a key part of L'Oréal for the Future, and it's why we support the Puhinui Regeneration Project. Here, a community is restoring its awa and protecting biodiversity, guided by local Māori knowledge. At the same time, it's creating nature-based careers for rangatahi. We want our support to help local people lead this work, and it's a privilege to play a part."
— Stephanie Luelf, Chief Corporate Affairs and Engagement Officer, L'Oréal Groupe ANZ

Collaborating with the Sustainable Business Network reinforces this community-wide alliance. As traditional philanthropy and public funding encounter constraints, responsible business support provides steady momentum.

"It’s wonderful to see businesses prioritise investment, time, and support into regenerating nature. It’s not just about regenerating nature; it is about uplifting the mauri of people and community and giving rangatahi the skills for a regenerative future."
— Stephanie Vercoe, Impact and Investment Lead – Nature, Sustainable Business Network

How Te Puhinui Fits into L’Oréal for the Future

Our global sustainability programme, L’Oréal for the Future, sets concrete 2030 targets and focuses heavily on stewarding the climate transition, protecting nature, driving circular resource use, and supporting social inclusion.

At L’Oréal Groupe, our sense of purpose—to create the beauty that moves the world—means we champion initiatives that foster mutual healing between society and the natural ecosystems that sustain us. Our support of Te Puhinui exemplifies how global environmental commitments find practical, respectful expression on the ground through authentic indigenous-led leadership.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Te Puhinui Regeneration Project?
Te Puhinui Regeneration Project is an indigenous-led environmental and community initiative in South Auckland, New Zealand. Led by Te Pū-a-Ngā Maara alongside the Sustainable Business Network, the programme works to restore the water quality, biodiversity, and mauri (life force) of the 12-kilometre Puhinui Stream catchment while training local rangatahi (youth) in nature-based careers.

Why is L’Oréal Groupe supporting stream restoration in New Zealand?
L’Oréal Groupe supports Te Puhinui through our global L’Oréal for the Future sustainability roadmap. We believe the future of beauty requires protecting biodiversity and empowering local communities. Supporting local rangatahi to lead ecological work creates lasting positive change across ecological, cultural, and social landscapes.

What measurable impact has been achieved through this project?
Since 2024, the programme has achieved significant milestones across the catchment, including planting 62,295 native trees, eco-sourcing and growing 47,462 native plants, and engaging 484 community volunteers in 2025 alone to help restore the stream banks.

Updated: October 2026
Source: Puhinui Regeneration Project 2025 Impact Report