Healthy waterways are essential, and working together to get and keep them healthy benefits us all.  Over time our rivers and streams have degraded.  

A Committee of local people from Upper Hutt, Lower Hutt and Wellington was established in 2018.  Their goal was to help implement government regulations for improving water quality. 

The 17-person Committee was co-chaired by Mana Whenua and a community member.  They first adopted a set of kawa/principles to help drive their work, and then set about developing a programme to restore wai ora (healthy water) in the next 100 years.

A Mana Whenua committee, Te Kāhui Taiao, was also created - comprising of representatives from Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.  

Kawa Amends 26 10 21

Why is it needed? 

Our waterways have been degrading, and will continue to do so without big changes.  The desire for change is clear – not only from government regulation, but it’s also what our Mana Whenua partners and community expect.  The simple concept is to put water first – te Mana o te Wai

Ka ora te wai – If the water is cared for 
Ka ora te whenua – The land will be nourished 
Ka ora te whenua – If the land is nourished 
Ka ora te tangata – The people will prosper

Whaitua Implementation Programmes 

Two documents were produced, which must be read, implemented and woven together to ensure the objectives and recommendations in both reports are met.

  • Te Kāhui Taiao produced Te Mahere Wai, a Mana Whenua Whaitua Implementation Programme.  It establishes Mana Whenua values, water quality objectives, and a Mātauranga Māori assessment framework (te Oranga Wai). 

  • The full committee produced Te Whanganui-a-Tara Whaitua Implementation Programme.  

The documents feature recommendations, information on issues in each sub-catchment, and pathways to wai ora.  

You can watch the addresses from the launch event, including the Committee co-chairs, mana whenua leaders and Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter.

Read the latest progress update

Interactive catchment map and information

What guided us

Updated June 15, 2023 at 2:30 PM

Get in touch

Phone:
0800496734
Email:
info@gw.govt.nz