A collective of iwi has joined forces with Invercargill City Council to develop a native plant nursery and propagation venture. 

Four Papatipu Rūnanga o Murihiku formed Te Tapu o Tāne earlier this year when they were awarded $1.98 million funding through the Government's 1 Billion Trees Fund and $2.125m from the Department of Conversation's Jobs for Nature Fund.

The collective will work with ICC over the next three years on the project, based at the council's nursey site and adjacent land at Donovan Park,  

The aim is to train 25 kaimahi and create several nurseries, eventually producing up to 700,000 plants and trees each year. 

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Te Tapu o Tāne Pou Tūraka Chief Executive Jana Davis said: "This is an ambitious project which will help to restore the mauri of our whenua and awa.

"Our goal is to make meaningful impact to reducing unemployment, creating pathways, and fulfilling our role as mana whenua kaitiaki to increase the wellbeing of our people and all people within our takiwā." 

Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said the partnership was an exciting step in which the two organisations could achieve cultural, social, environmental and employment outcomes to make a difference for the community. 

"We are thrilled to be working alongside Te Tapu o Tāne to bring this venture to life and support Iwi across their takiwā in training rangatahi, providing employment opportunities and contributing to climate change solutions through the planting of native forest. 

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"The opportunity to work closely together to leverage Government funding and support and optimise opportunities that are important to each organisation has been tested and we believe there is a valuable partnership in the making." 

Rain said the venture would be mutually beneficial and would provide the opportunity to develop infrastructure at the nursery and advance seed sowing and planting technology. 

Work at the site begins today, marked with a whakawātea (blessing), a naming ceremony and mihi whakatau led by mana whenua for the new space at the nursery in November. 

The nursery provides the majority of the plants used in parks and reserves across the city.