Waimā Waitai Waiora

We are proud to be working alongside six other partners on Waimā, Waitai, Waiora. The project is a collective of Northland organisations, stakeholders and mana whenua working together to assist landowners to implement sustainable land management practices on their lands in and around the Northern Kaipara catchment. The Partnership is closely involved in environmental planning, policy development, and various initiatives affecting the management of Kaipara Moana and its tributaries.

About the project

The Northern Kaipara catchment, the Wairoa River, and their tributaries are vital to the wellbeing of many forms of life. Their waters provide life to the taonga species we gather, our crops, stock, forests, wetlands, and all the beings that inhabit them.  

The Partnership is guided by a blend of Western science and mātauranga Māori. The work we are doing is informed by experience and our relationships with the wai, the whenua, and the local people, including hapū and iwi.   

The Partnership recognises the importance of relationships between Treaty partners and that it is responsible for giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.  

A collaborative effort

Mana whenua, farmers, community organisations, NGOs, local government, and government agencies share a stewardship and kaitiaki responsibility to restore the unique nature of the Northern Kaipara catchment from Northern reaches of the Wairoa River through to the Kaipara Moana.  

In 2017, a collective of mana whenua, community organisations, NGOs and government agencies that care about the Northern Kaipara catchment, came together with a common vision for a healthier and more productive catchment and harbour.  

Nobody wants our rivers, streams, or harbour to be polluted. We all care about the same things. Together, we can make the changes needed to restore the mauri (life force) of our waters and ensure a healthy future for the next generations. The Partnership’s focus is on ensuring everyone has access to the tools needed to ensure our lands and waterways are sustainable.  

Project partners

So far Waimā, Waitai, Waiora has;

  • Worked alongside mana whenua and landowners to incorporate mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge) practices, alongside good farming and forestry principles, plus land restoration practices.
  • Developed farm environment plans with landowners to identify, prioritise, and adopt sustainable land management practices on their farms.
  • Provided subsidies to landowners to assist with fencing, planting, stock water reticulation and wetland enhancement.
  • Established freshwater quality monitoring sites in the catchment.
  • Established a new hapū coordinator role at Northland Regional Council.
  • Helped to carry out Te Kawa Wairoa research project, an iwi and hapū-inspired research project concerning the health, wellbeing, and mauri of the Wairoa River and its tributaries.
Find out more about what the partnership has been up to.

More information

For more information on the project, visit the Waimā, Waitai, Waiora website: www.waimawaitaiwaiora.co.nz

Video series: Planting for tuna

This short video series follows a planting story near Ngararatunua Marae that will help to improve habitat for tuna (eels) in local streams and rivers.

This is just one of many similar events happening through the Waimā, Waitai, Waiora partnership to help improve water quality in the Northern Kaipara catchment. It’s an awesome example of people coming together to help protect and restore the taiao (environment) in Te Tai Tokerau.