August 04, 2021
Collective effort needed to restore te mana o te wai
Members of Kahui Wai Māori, the Māori Freshwater Forum, are on a tour encouraging regional councils to get behind efforts to clean up the nation’s waterways.
Member Dover Samuels says a mindset change is needed as well as new legislation and policies.
He says while there has been some resistance from older farmers, he’s optimistic at the way young farmers seem willing to accept their responsibilities to address the effects of intensive use of land near waterways.
"Whether it's urban people living in the city, people like us living in the rural sector, we're all in this waka together. What's important is we all recognise the importance of the health, the mana o te wai, and pull collectively together to be able to bring about the changes needed maybe not for us now but for our mokopuna and generations yet to come," Mr Samuels says.
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