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Download AudioA marae on the banks of the Waikato River wants Auckland Council-owned Watercare to engage more with mana whenua.
Huntly’s Waahi Paa had objected to the Auckland Council-owned body taking an additional 300 million litres of water a day from their tūpuna awa.
Marae chair Huirama Matatahi says the relationship between Auckland and Waikato has been one sided, with the health and wellbeing of the river becoming an afterthought.
He wants to see a greater commitment from Watercare to work with mana whenua.
“If we continue on the trajectory we are regarding the take, take, take mentality, our tūpuna is going to diminish before our eyes. The care and protection and practicing of our kaitiakitanga really needs to be out to the forefront,” Mr Matatahi says.
A condition of the new consents is that Watercare set up a new monitoring and strategy committee including tangata whenua.
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