Sediment loading in Kaipara Harbour tributary.
Photo: LDR / Susan Botting
Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR) interim management unit senior manager Alan Wilcox said planting the trees was the foundation of a new intergenerational approach.
First plantings for the programme are planned this month - across 6000sq km of land with more than 8000km of waterways.
Tame Te Rangi, chairperson of the governing body Kaipara Moana Remediation joint committee, said it was positive to see the community working towards improving the health of the harbour.
He said two groups had already applied to be involved in harbour improvement through riparian planting and other efforts - the Wairua River group catchment group in Northland and the Hoteo River catchment group in Auckland.