He reo tō te wai, He reo tō te tangata, Kotahi tonu te whakapapa Whakakotahitia!
Contents Karakia
1 Executive Summary
3 Wai Māori around the motu
5 Te Mana o Ngā Tuna hīkoi to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa
8 Operational performance against annual plan
12 Financial performance against plan
13 Comments on financial performance
Ko Rangi, Ko Papa, ka puta ko Rongo, ko Tane Mahuta, ko Tangaroa, ko Tumatauenga, ko Haumietiketike, ko Tawhirimatia.
Toko te Rangi ki runga, ko Papa ki raro.
Ka puta te ira tangata ki te whai ao, ki te ao marama.
E Rongo, whakairia ake ki runga, kia tina! Tina!
Hui e, taiki e!
Executive Summary
This is Te Wai Māori’s quarter one (Q1) report to iwi against the 2024/25 Annual Plan and covers the period 1 October to 31 December 2024. As with our previous quarterly reports, this report has been developed to give regular insight into the work the Trust undertakes on behalf of Mandated Iwi Organisations.
Tēnā koutou katoa,
We are pleased to present to you our fourth quarter report of the 2024/25 financial year.
This year’s work programme supports the strategic priorities and long-term outcomes detailed in the Trust’s Annual Plan. These include:
+ Enhancing the health and wellbeing of indigenous fisheries and their habitat
+ Enhancing the recognition and status of indigenous species
Providing better opportunities for the participation of iwi and hapū in resource management decision making processes as they relate to freshwater fisheries and habitat
+ Promoting and sharing indigenous fisheries expertise, knowledge and understanding
+ Increasing the quality and range of information to iwi and hapū on freshwater fisheries and habitat
+ Supporting iwi and hapū capacity and capability in freshwater fisheries.
As always, we welcome your feedback on the structure and content of our reporting.
Nāku noa, nā
Faulkner Chair, Te Wai Māori Trust
Rawiri
Wai Māori around the motu
Te Wai Māori hīkoi to Haldon Pastures in Canterbury
Innovative electric fish barrier being used to protect kōwaro (Canterbury Mudfish)
On 25 November 2024, Te Wai Māori Trust alongside the Fish Futures Working Group visited an innovative electric fish barrier site situated at Haldon Pastures in Canterbury. The roopu was guided by Johannes Welsch (Central Zone Delivery Manager) and Steve Carrick (Pou Matai Ko/Cultural Land Management Advisor) from Environment Canterbury. Haldon Pasture Springs, located between the Waikirikiri/Selwyn River and the Hororata River, was chosen as it is a key location with almost no agricultural impact or modification and features a strong presence of resilient kōwaro. Kōwaro or the Canterbury Mudfish, is a taonga species endemic to the Canterbury Plains in Southern Christchurch. Due to significant habitat loss and predation by non-native Brown trout, kōwaro has a conservation status of Threatened (Nationally Critical) under the New Zealand Threat Classification System. Thus, the Haldon Pastures project – a first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere – came to life in a joint effort between Environment Canterbury, Te Taumata Rūnanga, the Department of Conservation (DOC), North Canterbury Fish and Game, Fonterra, and landowner John Grigg.
The barrier itself is 100% powered by solar electricity. A solar panel array, developed and installed by Frizzell Agricultural Electronics, produces electricity which is then stored in a battery bank that charges the electrical barrier. As the battery bank stores enough power to operate in deficit for long periods, eliminating the need for backup power systems or mains electrical power, the fish barrier is energy efficient and climate resilient.
THE SOLAR PANEL ARRAY AND BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY.
CREDIT: STEVE CARRICK
KŌWARO
CREDIT: STEVE CARRICK
The solar-powered ‘fish fence’ consists of three underwater iron structures, which emit electric pulses to discourage trout from moving upstream. Intelligently, each installed structure emits an electric pulse at an intensity that does not affect other taonga species such as tuna. The structure furthest from the kōwaro’s habitat emits a pulse with enough strength to incapacitate, not kill, a juvenile brown trout. The intensity of this pulse grows as a trout swims upstream to meet the next barrier in place. Once the trout is incapacitated, the natural flow of the water carries it back downstream where it recovers. Since its activation in 2021, the upstream habitat for the kōwaro has increased from about 800 metres to 8,000 metres.
This project will be one to watch as it has the potential to be replicated in other sites across the motu to further protect the habitats of our freshwater taonga species.
IMAGES OF THE UNDERWATER IRON STRUCTURES OBSERVED AT
DIFFERENT WATER LEVELS DATED
LEFT: 19 APRIL 2024
RIGHT: 22 MAY 2024.
CREDIT: STEVE CARRICK
Te Mana o Ngā Tuna hīkoi to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa
Te Wai Māori and Te Mana o Ngā Tuna members travelled to Murupara to meet with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa (Ngāti Manawa) in early December last year. The kaupapa of the hui included being guided through a Mauri Compass exercise in monitoring and tuna biology to determine tuna health and abundance in the catchment.
Attending the hui provided a great opportunity to meet with whānau ā-tinana and see the extensive restorative mahi they are undertaking in their rohe. It included practical demonstrations on mātauranga a Ngāti Manawa, and field trips to wāhi tapu sites and to the Aniwaniwa dam. It was spread over two days.
Te Wai Māori and Te Mana o Ngā Tuna members got to stay overnight at the whānau-owned Kohutapu Lodge, which sits on the banks of Lake Aniwaniwa. We were also treated to a delicious hāngī for dinner.
Existing restorative work
Whānau took us to Te Repo o Hinenawari on day one to see firsthand their restorative efforts. This area sits alongside the Waiora Stream, which is prominent to Ngāti Manawa for its spiritual healing properties.
THE TĪMA GATHERED AT TE RŪNANGA O NGĀTI MANAWA HEADQUARTERS, MURUPARA
Ngāti Manawa has been monitoring taonga species within Te Repo o Hinenawari for two years with Te Mana o te Wai funding. The area has been the focus of restorative work since 2017 with large tracts of willow removed and replaced with native trees and harakeke. Iwi also received Jobs for Nature funding to support native planting, weed control, pest control and riparian fencing, and have carried out eDNA testing and tuna surveys.
The hīkoi was captured by Mauri Compass guru, Ian Ruru who shared the following video: https://www.facebook.com/100004340114007/videos/1558562528133614/.
Murupara rock carvings
A guided visit to an ancient Māori rock art site on day one, was definitely a highlight of the trip, with our hosts generously sharing their time and pūrakau with us.
The Murupara rock carvings, also known as Te Ana a Toko Waru, are hidden amongst a plantation pine forestry, in a limestone cave with granite overhang. They were uncovered in 1925 and were considered by many to be the greatest archaeological find in the Bay of Plenty. The whole shelter is an historic timeline with carbon dating of older carvings at 800 to 900BC, with more recent artwork estimated to be finished in the 13th Century.
Although a protective fence surrounds them, the elements and the forest put these taonga at risk as moisture seeps in from the dense forest surroundings. The Department of Conservation is assessing current conditions to determine the extent of microbial activity that is causing the rocks to erode and identify what needs to be done to protect the site. Te Papa Atawhai Tiriti Ranger Karito Paul has also been seconded to help guide this work so that damage to the site is mitigated as much as possible.
Aniwaniwa dam
Ngāti Manawa next hosted the tīma at the Aniwaniwa dam to share kōrero about what whānau are doing to help improve tuna passage at the site.
The Aniwaniwa dam on the Rangitaiki River blocks the passage of migrating indigenous fish species.
To mitigate the effects of the dam on upstream tuna populations, a manual trap and transfer of elvers began in the 1980s. Iwi picked this mahi up in 2017 and expanded it to include downstream migration of tuna during tuna heke using fyke nets.
Pioneer Energy now contract with the Rūnanga regarding fish passage improvements and tuna trap and transfer operations and will be negotiating directly with Ngāti Manawa (and other affected iwi) regarding reconsenting of the hydroscheme, which will likely include new consent conditions for safe tuna passage.
Pioneer Energy also installed a new tuna syphon in 2024 which operates by trapping tuna in a compartment where they can be safely removed and relocated downstream. The syphon is currently in a trial phase and has yet to be tested.
The Mauri Compass workshop
Ngāti Manawa have recently completed their introduction to the Mauri Compass Certificate and are looking at opportunities to start the Advanced Assessors Course On day two of the wānanga Ngāti Manawa got to showcase their skills and use the opportunity to teach the certificate to members of Te Wai Māori and Te Mana o Ngā Tuna.
The roopu set fyke nets at Te Repo o Hinenawari overnight. When the nets were retrieved there were a number of longfin and shortfin tuna present, which is a fantastic indicator of water quality for mahinga kai species (and a relief to whānau present)!
The wānanga incorporated a facilitated discussion of tuna mātauranga and whānau kōrero and included a tuna biology demonstration to determine tuna health. Sampling of tuna included the discovery of parasitic nematode worms which lives in the swim bladder of eels.
Connecting to place and identity is key for whānau and this is reflected in the animation video shared with us. Ngā Taniwha o Ngāti Manawa, which highlights the role that kaitiaki play in whakapapa narratives and natural surroundings and is intricately linked to specific locations within the whenua, can be found here: https://tangiharuru.nz/taniwha/
It is clear that the Rūnanga is in a good position to lead other mātauranga-based monitoring and restoration approaches across the motu including via intergenerational knowledge exchange with rangatahi.
TUNA SYPHON INSTALLED AT THE ANIWANIWA DAM IN 2024
Operational performance against annual plan
1.
Enhance the health and wellbeing of indigenous fisheries and their habitat
Fish Futures Working Group
The roopu will next be meeting at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Motupōhue/Bluff in early March as part of the wider Fish Futures Annual Symposium.
2.
Enhance the recognition and status of indigenous species
Te Mana o Ngā Tuna
Te Mana o Ngā Tuna met with Ngāti Manawa to gain insight on the restorative works they are undertaking in their rohe and to be guided through a Mauri Compass exercise to monitor and sample tuna to determine their health and abundance.
The event included a mix of presentations, group work, sites visits, and practical demonstrations related to mātauranga a Ngāti Manawa, tuna biology and health, concluding with small group assessments, reflections and kai.
The Trust continued to work with Kitson Consulting to produce an information booklet on the important function of modified waterways, commonly referred to as drains, as habitat for taonga species. The booklet looks at the best practice approaches for undertaking drain clearance including ways to help mitigate impacts on the freshwater taonga that inhabit these waterways. The Trust is also working on developing a new webpage drawing together information on tuna.
The Trust organised an online hui on mass mortality events (MMEs) in October which
included coordinating representatives from the DOC, the Waikato Regional Council (Pathways to Sea), and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to present and answer pātai from Te Mana o Ngā Tuna members.
We heard that many MMEs are from disease, low dissolved oxygen levels and fish strandings (related to low flow). They are also due to the movement of fish/tuna through instream barriers such as dams and flood pumping stations. The historical response to MMEs has been problematic with the roles of agencies being blurred, low awareness of aquatic health, and a general lack of data.
Waikato Regional Council (as part of the Pathways to Seas mahi) is trying to improve safe downstream fish passage at regional council managed pump stations by testing new tools and developing an overarching strategy. Tools include trap and transfer (led by iwi and hapū), gravity bypass outlets, and the use of modified MacEwans pump and encased Archimedes screw pumps.
Next steps for Waikato Regional Council include prioritised replacement of pump stations to account for factors like cultural values, fish records, past mortalities and catchment size. It is noted that to date, the council has only replaced three pumps over a three-year period.
The DOC is working in collaboration with the MPI to understand, address and mitigate MMEs within their remit. This includes informing and supporting communities to develop site-based responses. In Southland, the Waikawa whānau created a MMEs response to Lamprey Reddening Syndrome (LRS) in kanakana and local hapū and iwi have vastly contributed to the development of a Whanganui response framework.
The DOC is looking to grow interagency coordination between councils, the MPI and
iwi. This means improving response capability, growing capacity, ensuring samples reach the lab in a timely manner, developing response frameworks at site, accounting for tikanga, and raising awareness through the use of a hotline and a central data repository.
Staff are keeping a watching brief over developments.
3.
Providing
better opportunities for the participation of Iwi and hapū in resource management decision-making processes as they relate to freshwater fisheries and habitat
Resource Management Reform
The Trust continues to respond to the swathe of legislative changes that are underway. This included reviewing the final report on the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill (the Bill) and a further amendment paper (Paper 128) that will change section 80A of the RMA.
The Primary Production Committee voted to pass the Bill by a majority, recommending changes be made prior to its third reading in the House. This included a last-minute change (Paper 128) that prevents councils from publicly notifying new freshwater plans until the new NPS-FM is developed (or by the end of 2025). Crucially, this amendment will retrospectively cover any plans passed from the time of the announcement onwards. This is a significant change which was not originally included in the Bill and did not proceed through the select committee submission process.
Similarly the final report also made changes to the RMA that were not included in the report-back on this Bill. Section 170 of the RMA (which prevents discharge permits from being granted if councils consider that a discharge will likely result in any significant adverse effects on aquatic life)
has been changed. Discharge or coastal permits can now be granted despite the likelihood that the discharge will have significant adverse effects on aquatic life if the receiving waters are already so degraded that they are subject to significant adverse effects on aquatic life.
The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act came into force on 25 October 2024.
4.
Promote and share indigenous fisheries expertise, knowledge and understanding.
Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference
Planning is underway for the 2025 Māori Freshwater Fisheries Conference which will be co-hosted by Ngāti Maniapoto at the Les Munro Centre in Te Kūiti. A save the date pānui was sent out and registrations are set to open early in the new year.
The Māori Freshwater Fisheries conference provides an opportunity to gather, share and support the crucial network of kaitiaki wai māori. The theme of this year’s huhuinnga is he wai pūnehu – navigating murky waters In these times of uncertainty, it can be difficult to see a clear path forward. How do we work together to navigate these murky waters, build on our collective actions and achieve enduring positive outcomes for our freshwater taonga?
5.
Supporting Iwi and hapū capacity and capability in freshwater fisheries.
Wai Ora Fund
This quarter, the Trust entered into funding agreements with 2024 funding round recipients: Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Wakatū Incorporation, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga, Te Waiau Mahika
Kai Trust, Hokonui Rūnanga Floriculture Limited, Ngātiwai Trust Board and Aki Tai Here Ltd. The Trust also continued to support projects from the 2023 funding round: Tuawhenua Trust, Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and Maungataniwha ki Rangaunu Trust.
Te Arawa Lakes Trust is set to receive a total of $40,000 to revitalise the mātauranga of tau kōura and facilitate hapū and whānau participation in mahi tau kōura as both a method of monitoring kōura populations and as a source of kai.
With their awarded Wai Ora funding, Wakatū Incorporation aims to restore 24 hectares of cultural and ecologically significant landtraditionally known as Raukūmara – which is part of the original pounamu papakāinga in Motueka.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Mutunga will receive a total of $50,000 to reconnect and engage Ngāti Mutunga with their traditional fishing knowledge and practices and to re-establish whānau relationships with mahinga kai sites, practices and taonga species within their rohe.
Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust have been awarded $27,452 to enhance the wetland habitat in the Jericho Valley by developing wetland ponds for kōura on the valley floor and planting up native wetland species. In addition to the wetland ponds, they are also creating a wetland forest (kahikatea) and conducting riparian planting along the Jericho Stream.
Hokonui Rūnanga Floriculture Limited have been awarded Wai Ora funding to enable the continuation of their Kaupapa Taiao Artificial Intelligence Programme. This programme sets out to develop a machine learning AI tool to identify kanakana during their migration up Te Au Nui Pihapiha Kanakana (Mataura falls).
Ngātiwai Trust Board will receive a total of $45,000 of Wai Ora funding to restore and
conserve repo (wetlands) within Te Ākau Roa o Ngātiwai, integrating traditional Māori knowledge (mātauranga) with modern environmental practices. Their project aims to enhance the health and wellbeing of these ecosystems, which hold significant cultural, historical, and ecological value to Ngātiwai.
With their awarded Wai Ora funding of $48,000, Aki Tai Here Ltd seek to embed maramataka, and local mātauranga informed monitoring techniques in their long running habitat restoration efforts at sites across the rohe of Whangārei Heads and surrounding areas.
One further project remains active from the 2021 funding round from Te Ani Waata Whānau Trust.
Tiaki Wai Fund
This quarter, the Trust entered into an agreement with Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa Trustee Limited and continues to support Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board and Te Kūpenga Hou Ltd.
Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa Trustee Limited are using their awarded Tiaki Wai funding to conduct eDNA testing – in partnership with WilderLab - at four sites along the Wairoa River in Northland prior to commencing work on restoring the health of the river.
MfE Essential Freshwater (Tangata Whenua) Fund
The Te Mātāpuna o te Wai fund has a pool of $12.8 million to develop the capability and capacity of hapū and iwi in their aspirations for their freshwater taiao. Te Mātāpuna o te Wai offers a three-year investment through planning support for Te Mana o te Wai/Taiao System approaches and supporting the capacity of hapū and iwi by resourcing kaimahi (full time employees).
Again, the management of funding agreements and deliverables under the Te Mātāpuna fund was the focus for the quarter (led by subcontractors Poipoia Limited).
Financial performance against plan
The following table summarises each area of work identified in the 2024/25 annual plan by comparing actual to budgeted expenses for the year to date.
Te Wai Māori Finance Report to 31 December 2024
Comments on financial performance
+ Te Wai Māori have generated a $761k net surplus to 31 December 2024. This is largely due to portfolio revenues which are $490k ahead of budget.
+ Total costs were $3m, of which the bulk ($2.57m) were MfE Essential Freshwater (Tangata Whenua) Fund grant payments.
+ Budget 2024/25 reflects a surplus of $708k which is the return required to offset inflation i.e. maintain the real value of settlement funds.
+ Governance costs are $2k under and operations are ($12k) over budget. Operational overspend is due to consultancy costs and is not expected to increase significantly over quarter two.
+ Excluding MfE Essential Freshwater (Tangata Whenua) Fund, project costs are $17k ahead of budget. This is mostly due to Wai Ora Funds, which are partially offset by unspent project funding elsewhere.
+ MfE Essential Freshwater (Tangata Whenua) Fund grant payments are $1.8m ahead of budget with the bulk of the full year budget paid out in the first quarter.
NB: the figures shown in the tables above have not been audited.
