A reflection by Danielle Francis, Manager Liveable Communities
The New Zealand water industry is going through a huge reform. In 2020 the government announced that delivery of water services would transition away from the current 67 local Councils, over to four Water Services Entities across the country.
Known as the ‘Three Waters Reform’, the aim is to create a more centralised approach to management of water, wastewater and stormwater. The structure is considered the best way to meet service standards on public health, customer and environmental outcomes in future, and to face the challenges of climate change, population growth and natural disasters. Authorities also want to reduce the risk of water quality incidents like the Havelock North campylobacter outbreak that made thousands sick in 2016.
The Water Services Entities will be publicly owned. Draft legislation is being created for them to go live on 1 July 2024. The new structure is due to save households thousands of dollars in water bills. It will also enable infrastructure investment of between $120 billion and $185 billion (NZ) over the next 30 years, costs which it would be difficult for local councils to handle on their own.
I was privileged to hear about this at the excellent Water NZ conference, organised by Water New Zealand. A really inspiring aspect is that the cultural values of Māori as the indigenous people of New Zealand, are front and centre in the reform.
Te Mana o te Wai is a Māori concept about the vital importance of water, that looking after water means looking after people, and denoting the special relationship New Zealanders have with water. The Three Waters Reform will enshrine this concept in legislation, ensuring it is always protected. And a co-management approach is built into governance of the reform which will include representation of Māori on the four new water management boards.
I was really taken with the way in which Māori concepts are incorporated and expressed in New Zealand. The conference was opened with a magnificent display of traditional Māori customs and practices including a formal pōwhiri (welcome) and waiata (song). But more uniquely, Māori language and phrasing is ubiquitous – every speech and address began with extensive discussion and exchanges in local language. Something Australia can learn from, perhaps. In return, New Zealanders told me they like our ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ practice.
I caught up with Richard WaiWai, Poutiaki, Tikanga Māori (Principal Advisor) at Watercare (Auckland’s water provider). He shared some insights on Māori perspectives on water management. For example, along rivers certain protocols will apply to certain areas of water – for example some are off limits, some set aside for spiritual purposes (such as sacred ceremonies), or for drinking, or bathing. Watercare’s extraction point on the Waikato River is near a traditional sacred site, so through working together, a buffer zone was created.
Richie led a collaborative engagement process over the last couple of years between Watercare and the local iwi. It was to develop an agreeement on discharges from the Pukekohe Wastewater Treatment Plant in future. Richie highlighted the Māori beliefs around the river as a living ancestor, and its spiritual and cultural significance. Together, Watercare and 9 iwi groups worked to incorporate core principles for the iwi: make the river swimmable, fishable, drinkable. And keep the infrastructure in harmony with the environment – ‘build better, not bigger’. The outcome was a an agreement allowing discharges for 35 years – and all parties felt the majority of their needs were met.
Interconnectedness is a core part of Māori beliefs – all living and non-living things are connected, and the people have a unique relationship with that and responsibility to care for it (kaitiakitanga). Even the Māori phrase for asking someone’s name harks back to water, by asking ‘what waters’ they are from.
In Australia, we are starting to realise that we can put a heavy cultural load onto the shoulders of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, who bear a unique role, as a bridge between European approaches and Indigenous groups. We talked about the responsibility Richie feels as a voice for all Māori, and the challenges that come in ensuring the right people are in the room and can make decisions. Cross-claims can arise, and the engagement must not be ‘tick a box’. I really liked Richie’s ‘cup of tea and a scone’ rule – take the time to get to know people and build a relationship.
There are busy times ahead, and the future looks bright. Ngā mihi.
For more information read here, here and here.
29 Jun 2022
