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TE RUNANGANUI O NGATI POROU
To Ngāti Porou, the winding river of the Waiapu, is the source of our spiritual and physical sustenance, the inspiration for our art and stories and the carrier of our matauranga. The Waiapu runs through the veins of all those who whakapapa to Ngāti Porou and is a beacon, with our maunga Hikurangi, for the coming generations of our hapu and iwi. These cultural markers, connecting the human world with the spiritual and natural worlds for Ngāti Porou have defined the personalities of the people of the river and rooted our whānau deeply into the waters and soils of the Waiapu.
In 2016 Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou worked with our hapu to discuss how best to address water quantity and quality for our wai as a whole. This was initiated due to the Gisborne District Council wanting to develop a Freshwater Management Plan that would cover the Ngati Porou rohe.
As a result of this advocacy, in 2015, the Gisborne District Council (GDC) and Ngati Porou entered into a joint management agreement (JMA) for the Waiapu Catchment specifically as a beginning, to enable decision-making and to co-develop a Waiapu Catchment Management Plan that would manage all land and water use in the catchment. A copy of the JMA can be found here.
The Waiapu Catchment Plan is the next key piece of work as a result of the JMA.
When complete the Waiapu Catchment Plan will be a Regional Plan under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) and provide key resource management direction for the management of freshwater/natural resources in the Waiapu. As a result of these interventions, this plan will be designed in full partnership between Ngati Porou and the GDC. What is often the case with plans such as these, is that Iwi are classed as participants and stakeholders. This plan requires both organisations to share the actual writing of the plan. This change is welcomed by Ngati Porou, but it understands that there comes a responsibility to ensure that our input is resourced and of a high quality to enable the best outcomes for the Waiapu.
Catchment Plans outline: How the plan considers and recognises Te Mana o Te Wai
Essentially the plan will cover how people interact with the awa, how they use it and protect it. This means it is imperative, as kaitiaki and ahi kaa that the whanau of the Waiapu are part of how this is designed.
