Meaningful and effective Māori engagement in engineering infrastructure projects is essential to their success, especially within New Zealand’s water infrastructure sector. This sector currently faces significant deterioration of both above and below ground water assets across the domains of stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water, known as the three waters. As a response, the previous Labour government proposed a reform bill to revitalise the national three waters network, including a plan of shared governance between councils and iwi. Given the relationship of Māori with water, Te Mana o te Wai principles, and their rights outlined in the Treaty of Waitangi, effective engagement is crucial.
Speakers: Alex Hynds and Lucy Gray recently graduated from the University of Canterbury, each earning a bachelor’s degree - Alex in Civil Engineering and Lucy in Natural Resources Engineering. During their final year, they collaborated on an honours project focused on Māori Engagement within the Engineering Profession, specifically examining a Three Waters Case Study. Alex and Lucy’s shared interest in this field has led them to join the Water teams at Jacobs and WSP, respectively.