AHUWHENUA | ENHANCE OUR SIGNIFICANT LANDS AND WATERWAYS

Te Mana O Te Wai

Written by: Dayveen Stephens

At its simplest, the principle of Te Mana o te Wai reflects the paramountcy of the health and wellbeing of wai.

Te Mana o te Wai represents a paradigm shift. It speaks to the need to re-balance and approach freshwater management as whānau Māori we hold an inherited responsibility through whakapapa to manage their ancestral taonga in a way that balances Rangatiratanga alongside Kaitiakitanga for the benefit of current and further generations.

Te Mana o te Wai requires people to think about the water as a living breathing taonga that needs to be looked after rather than a commodity to be taken until it is gone or pushed to its limits until it can no longer survive. It is about operating from a place of abundance, not abstraction.

Ngāti Tama whānau will have an opportunity to design and identify potential pathways for implementation on how freshwater is to be managed both now and in the future. Within the coming months, we will look to engage our whānau to what this will look like, stay tuned.

Te Puna Waiora O Te Waikoropup

Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust and the co-applicant Andrew Yuill continue to engage in the Environment Court process for a Water Conservation Order, to recognise and protect the outstanding values of waiora and wairua of Te Puna Waiora o Te Waikoropupū, the Wharepapa Arthur Marble Aquifer and Tākaka river and tributaries.

All parties agree to the WCO, however, outstanding matters of how to protect water quality and water availabilitycontaminant limits and water availability for future use are yet to be confirmed by the Court.

In accordance with Ngāti Tama tikanga, the protection of our kaitiaki responsibilities, the physical and spiritual essence of Te Puna Waiora o Te Waikoropupū, the Wharepapa Arthur Marble Aquifer and the Tākaka catchment, is central to Ngāti Tama advocacy in the Court. We also would like to acknowledge the contribution of external witnesses including: Kate McArthur (Freshwater), Professor Paul Williams (Karsts and Groundwater), Dr Graham Fenwick (Ecology), Friends of Golden Bay (freshwater monitoring).

The next hearing will be held on 27th and 28th October 2022 via the videoconferenceLivestream link below. A final hearing may be held in December 2022. At the conclusion of the December hearing, The Court will report to the Minister with recommendations for the Water Conservation Order and the Minister will make a decision. We look forward to a positive outcome.

Three Waters

Delivery of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services (three waters) across Aotearoa is changing to ensure our future wellbeing. The Government have acknowledged they need to improve the ageing water infrastructure to ensuring all New Zealanders have safe, affordable and reliable drinking, waste and stormwater services – now and in the future. Government have agreed to recognise and provide for Iwi Māori rights and interests with a specific focus onservice-delivery.

Ngāti Tama whānau will have the opportunity to provide your expectations and insights into the new Three Waters system. As with Te Mana o te Wai we will be engaging with our whānau in the next months to what this will look like.