Integrating Te Mana o te Wai: Prioritising cultural values and best-practise management for whenua

At WGA, we encourage the celebration of Te Ao Māori and value its importance across all aspects of our work, in our people and in our communities. As Engineers and Scientists specialising in maritime and water disciplines, we are well equipped to make a meaningful impact through our work with wai tai (saltwater) and wai māori (freshwater). We embed the principles of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management into our practice.

While specific to freshwater, the policy’s underlying principles recognising the intrinsic mauri (life force) of water, prioritising the health of water bodies, and upholding the relationship between tangata whenua and wai, also informs our broader approach to marine environments, environmental design, community collaboration, and long-term sustainability.

National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management principles in practice

In a collaborative project based in the wetland area adjacent to the Arowhenua Marae, WGA’s water scientists and engineers worked with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and Boffa Miskell to implement best practices in freshwater management during the conceptual design phase to uphold kaitiakitanga, ensuring environmental stewardship. The project aims to enhance the stream and wetland system through integrated approaches, including pest control, native planting, channel improvements, and specialised civil and stormwater engineering practices.

WGA participated in a site visit and wānanga (learning session), which involved detailed surveying of streams, channels, drainage, and culverts. The wānanga informed the development of conceptual civil engineering designs to mitigate existing flooding issues and establish a resilient hydraulic framework for ecological function. The project will also include improved access through the wetlands, including walkways, learning spaces, and gathering areas with connections to the Ōpihi and Temuka Rivers. Te Ao Māori expertise is being provided by Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, plus collaboration with their plant nursery team from Te Rākau Kōhanga. The conceptual design of the site is being progressed in collaboration with Boffa Miskell landscape architects and ecologists to consider the needs of the rūnanga, the local school, residents, wider community, and existing fauna.