Restoring the Mauri of the Wai - Using Co-management to Determine Wastewater Treatment and Disposal

B. Priestley and G. Hall (Beca Limited)

The discharge of human waste into a waterbody from a Western sense is challenging to te ao Māori as it compromises the mauri of the wai. In addition, there are often concerns within local communities over the health of the waterbodies receiving these discharges. Therefore, applications for resource consent renewal for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharging to water have been strongly opposed by local hapū and community representatives who seek meaningful alternatives to these discharges. However, finding appropriate treatment and discharge solutions is often limited not only by a lack of funding but also, in some cases, by the long, difficult histories between the community, tangata whenua and district authorities.

In the Far North of New Zealand, Far North District Council (FNDC) have been working towards more meaningful engagement with tangata whenua when it comes to the future of their wastewater assets. FNDC subsequently engaged Beca as independent consultants to assist them with this process, which acknowledges the conflict of the past and starts with trust building and whakawhanaungatanga. In person ‘round the table’ workshops with an established Working Group (typically consisting of hapū representatives, local community members, and district authority staff) are used as a tool for first defining the nature of the issue and the core beliefs and priorities of each party. Hapū, district authority personnel and the environmental and engineering consultants are all considered subject matter experts (SMEs), each adding a different type of expertise that is used to come up with a long list of acceptable options. The final development of the Best Practicable Option (BPO) is a product of kotahitanga between the various groups. This has been successfully completed for the Taipa WWTP Kaikohe WWTP in theFar North.

With the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 placing greater emphasis on the incorporation of Te Mana o Te Wai into decision making, water managers need to seek meaningful engagement to ensure our solutions are working towards restoring mauri to the wai. This paper explores the success factors, challenges and broader applications of this process and presents tangible lessons that can be adopted by others seeking to undertake meaningful comanagement