Building Partnerships to Protect Our Waterways

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Protecting Aotearoa’s natural environment is a collective responsibility. The Waima, Waitai, Waiora (WWW) partnership is an example of what can be achieved when communities, councils, iwi, and organisations come together with shared goals. Through this collaboration, significant strides were made to safeguard the Kaipara Harbour, Hikurangi Repo, and surrounding waterways in Te Tai Tokerau.

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A Foundation of Shared Values

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Launched under a Mana Enhancing Agreement (MEA), the WWW partnership included iwi from southern Hokianga to Kaipara Moana, alongside organisations such as Northland Regional Council (NRC), Living Waters, Reconnecting Northland, and Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngā Wai Māori (NKONWM). The MEA focused on values like trust, mutual respect, and commitment to protecting the environment.

This strong foundation led to high-value collaboration across a vast catchment area, including the Kaipara, Aotearoa’s largest harbour, and the Hikurangi Repo, the once-largest wetland in Australasia. Together, these partners worked to address environmental challenges while recognising the cultural and ecological importance of these areas.

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Tangata Whenua at the Table

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The partnership prioritised the inclusion of tangata whenua voices in decision-making. As a result, NRC established the role of Hapū Coordinator to improve engagement with hapū across Te Tai Tokerau. This role, filled by Chantez, set a precedent for integrating Māori perspectives into regional planning and policy development.

For the first time, tangata whenua values were embedded in NRC’s regional freshwater plan through the Te Mana o te Wai framework. This inclusion ensured that environmental policies reflected the cultural, spiritual, and ecological dimensions of water as a taonga.

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Enduring Relationships, Lasting Impact

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The success of WWW didn’t end with its initial projects. The partnerships built through the MEA have grown into other initiatives, extending their positive impact across the region. By working together, the stakeholders demonstrated that collaboration isn’t just about solving immediate problems, it’s about creating systems and relationships that endure.

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Leading the Way in Collaborative Conservation

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The WWW partnership shows what’s possible when diverse groups come together with a common purpose. By combining mātauranga Māori and western approaches, they’ve set a standard for environmental stewardship in Aotearoa.

For funders and the public, this story illustrates the value of collaboration. It’s a reminder that protecting our natural environment isn’t just the work of individuals - it’s a collective effort that requires trust, respect, and a shared vision.

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