Aotea Lagoon

Aotea Lagoon
A view from the north-east: Pipitea miniature railway station across the lagoon, State Highway 1, North Island Main Trunk Railway and Porirua Harbour to the right.
Location	North Island
Coordinates	41°7′12″S 174°51′25″E / 41.12000°S 174.85694°E / -41.12000; 174.85694Coordinates: 41°7′12″S 174°51′25″E / 41.12000°S 174.85694°E / -41.12000; 174.85694
Type	artificial lagoon
Primary inflows	Porirua Harbour and stormwater drains
Primary outflows	Porirua Harbour
Basin countries	New Zealand
Surface area	5 ha (12 acres)
Shore length1	732 m (2,402 ft)
Surface elevation	sea level
Settlements	Papakowhai
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Aotea Lagoon is an artificial lagoon surrounded by a 7-hectare (17-acre) public park in the Papakowhai suburb of Porirua, North Island, New Zealand. Aotea and two nearby lagoons were created as transport links were realigned from the natural coastline to land reclaimed from Porirua Harbour.

The lagoon is 5 hectares (12 acres) of seawater, connected to Porirua Harbour by a culvert under the model windmill. Three stormwater drains empty into the lagoon, two in the east bank, the third in the south-east under the jetty.

The lagoon's "water body receives limited flushing and aeration" and "little can be done to improve water quality without extensive engineering works." Poor water quality means swimming is prohibited.

The North Island Main Trunk railway and State Highway 1 used to run round three bays between Porirua and Paremata. In 1961 the railway was realigned to a causeway built between headlands at the mouth of Porirua Stream, Gear Homestead, present day Thurso Grove and Forth Place. Cut off from the sea, the bays became lagoons. The lagoons were partly filled in, with material from the Ministry of Works and Development's local earthworks, then the highway was realigned inland of the railway.

The Ministry, Porirua City Council, Project Employment Programme and local service clubs turned the area around the middle lagoon into a public park, that opened as Aotea Lagoon in 1980. Originally leased from the Crown, the park was taken over by the City Council in 1994.