Success story

Te Tauihu Wānanga Series

Iwi and regional councils in the Tauihu region, an area at the top of the South Island, were all at different stages of planning for the Government’s freshwater reforms when the Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust approached Access to Experts for support.

The Access to Experts team attended three knowledge sharing forums held in Canvastown, Blenheim and Motueka to provide expert advice to attendees and encourage three-way learning and information sharing.

The experts highlighted knowledge which was specific to working in a te ao Māori framework and the application of Te Mana o te Wai, which refers to the fundamental importance of water and recognises that protecting the health of freshwater protects the health and well-being of the wider environment.

A key focus of the session was mahinga kai and how iwi and Councils could support sustainable freshwater ecosystems where kai can continue to be gathered for generations to come.

Local iwis’ biggest challenge is capacity, given the depth and breadth of work coming down the pipeline from local and central government and the work on the ground with whānau.

Feedback on the sessions was positive, with representatives saying Access to Experts’ involvement ‘removed the burden’ from local iwi.

Attendees said that without the service, regional councils and iwi would have had to rely on their own contacts and relationships for advice, without funding.