The word Mangere chills the hearts of many people, but things are gradually changing in this area. Admittedly, roller-doors are evident as the preferred method of nighttime security for shops here, and there are still some streets with ramshackle houses and unkempt lawns, but there now seems to be more camellias than car wrecks on the front lawns; Mangere seems to have raised itself up a notch. This is primarily because demand for affordable homes is bringing more house-proud owner-occupiers into the area. The new homes being built on the sites of former farms and market gardens are also lending Mangere a look of respectability. The old sewage treatment ponds have now been restored as natural coastline, the area is clean and thriving, and wildlife has returned to the area in droves. In all, 13 kilometres of shoreline has returned to the harbour.