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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2020 WILLIAMS DAM: This is the H.B. Williams Dam which is one of the main supplies of drinking water for Gisborne city. Picture by Ben Cowper THE BUSH THAT SUSTAINS US Waingake Waterworks Bush is a special place not many people even know exists, but it’s where Gisborne’s drinking water supply comes from. ˜ e Gisborne Herald’s Matai O’Connor organised a tour of the treatment plant and parts of the nationally-recognised 1100ha bush. ˜ is is the story of that unique place . ore than 400 metres above and then to taps. Te Iwi o Ngai Tamanuhiri have mana leader for drinking water Judith Robertson, sea level, hidden down a long ˜ ere are four people in the treatment whenua over the area which supplies the senior water supply oÿ cer Ralph Ogden, driveway and surrounded by plant who make sure everything runs as it city’s main water supply through Maraetaha plant operator Brett Chisholm, Te Puni trees, sits Gisborne’s Water should. Incorporation. Kokiri Whenua Maori adviser Pania King and MTreatment Plant. Gisborne also has a secondary treatment Bella Hawkins, chair of Maraetaha Inc Te Runanga o Turanganui A Kiwa’s funding Gisborne City water is supplied from two plant located at the Waipaoa River. and a trustee of Tamanuhiri Tutu Poroporo and contracts manager Julie Conder. main water catchments; the Mangapoike ˜ is augmentation plant was built in Trust — the post-settlement governance Ngai Tamanuhiri, Maraetaha Inc and Dams (Williams, Clapcott and Sang) and the answer to the widespread devastation caused entity for Ngai Tamanuhiri — accompanied GDC are working in partnership in a Waingake Bush Catchment QEII, which is by Cyclone Bola in 1988. It draws water from the Herald’s team to observe this “majestic transformational project called Waingake 1100 hectares of podocarp forest recognised the Waipaoa River and is essentially only jewel” known as the Mangapoike Dams, Restoration Plan — which will address the nationally for its unique ecological values. used as a “back-up” supply during peak water progressing from Pamoa Station to the ecological restoration of the 1100ha native ˜ e raw water from these sources is treated demand in the height of summer and in Waingake Waterworks Bush catchment and bush and revegetation of about 5000ha back at the Waingake Water Treatment Plant, emergency situations. treatment plant. to native in the Pamoa Block. before travelling through a 30km-long Most of Gisborne City’s water comes from Also on the trip were Allies Whakataka and pipeline into the city reticulation network the Waingake Water Treatment Plant. Kay Robin of Ngai Tamanuhiri, GDC’s team CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INFRASTRUCTURE FORESTRY /FARM RESIDENTIAL FREE QUOTES LAND WHOLE CLEARANCE TREE CHIPPING SHELTERBELT HYDROSEEDING REMOVAL Call us today for more info 35805-01 www.actco.co.nz E. [email protected] P. 06 862 5785 205 Stanley Rd, Gisborne. 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD FROM PAGE 1 negotiating how we work fi ltration, te ngahere. together in the future.” “° e water supply, the bush A clear message on the day Ngai Tamanuhiri, Maraetaha and the whenua are naturally was that taking the land back to Inc and GDC are working on a positioned to help our Treat water native vegetation can help reduce Memorandum of Partnership community nurture a source that issues of erosion as well as help and a Memorandum of is unique in Tairawhiti and we are with the water quality. Understanding for how they all encouraged to do our part to In August of this year, the become co-governors and co- protect it. start of a major revegetation and partners to restore, maintain and “° is exotic pine forest will no with respect restoration project at Waingake enhance this taonga, te tipu o te longer be here in seven years was marked by a tree-planting wai. time,” Ms Hawkins said. and mauri karakia ceremony. “° is is where the water ° is land o˛ ered a wealth of Ms Hawkins shared history supply comes from, it traverses opportunities for the people of on the Waingake catchment and through Maraetaha Inc, down the Tairawhiti, she said. how Ngai Tamanuhiri have mana Waingake River, into the Te Arai “We have identifi ed key roles whenua over this area. River and then connects to the needed in our community to “In 1840 our tupuna Tawheo Turanganui-a-Kiwa community. uplift and sustain water quality.” Pohatu of Ngai Tahupo signed Te “All of us have di˛ erent places, She spoke about how there Tiriti o Waitangi. spaces, wants and needs for could be education programmes “In 1868 approximately water. for the community, what that 1 million acres of Turanga lands “We encourage a greater might look like and how it were ceded to the Crown, of understanding that water is aligned with current curriculum which 250,000 acres was Ngai a valuable resource, how we and matauranga Maori (Maori Tamanuhiri. nurture and care for it as mana knowledge). “In 1869 Ngai Tahupo and whenua, and our role as kaitiaki “° ese are part of a wider iwi Ngati Rangiwaho were recognised is to ensure we are using it wisely vision,” Ms Hawkins said. as mana whenua and the hapu and in a way that’s sustainable. “Planning a matauranga evolved into Te Iwi o Ngai “We need to appreciate the framework with and for our Tamanuhiri. value it has for all of us. whanau and community includes Sixty-two percent of Ngai “We need to treat it with more raising the awareness for our Tamanuhiri land was lost due to respect. future generations, by helping CLAPCOTT DAM: This is one of the three dams where Gisborne’s drinking “private alienations”, 11 percent “City dwellers often don’t schools utilise this resource as water supply comes from. Picture by Ben Cowper were trust sales, 10 percent was realise how much water they part of our biodiversity and Crown purchases and public waste because they do not know sustainability education. works and only 17 percent of the where it comes from, they think “What’s important for us as land remained. it just comes out of a tap. mana whenua and iwi is that Maraetaha Incorporation is “Our own Muriwai community this supply is who we are, and one of the three remaining land is currently not supplied with how our iwi contributes to our holdings of Ngai Tamanuhiri drinking water, it bypasses us due community as Turanganui-a- which, through successive to the lay of the supply pipeline.” Kiwa. undertakings of public works ° e Waingake Restoration “We are really lucky that some since the 19th century, has Programme is to return the of us walk in these spaces; some contributed to the Waingake whenua and waterways to what people don’t even know places Waterworks Estate. it once was, which includes the like this exist in our backyard. “Without water we cannot return of native fauna such as “People will want to come, see survive,” Ms Hawkins said. tuatara, kiwi and other nga manu and learn the value this treasure “History has a lot of grievances. katoa (native birds). has, how it works, it’s importance Signifi cant land blocks were taken “A distinct reason is that and how it connects us all from us. when the water returns to its together,” Ms Hawkins said. “Land was alienated by the indigenous state, it has a purer Currently this site is protected Public Works Act or privately quality where indigenous species by restricted access with a sold. will return back to the whenua. co-partnership between Ngai WATER IS LIFE: This is the Waingake Water treatment plant, hidden within “Moving forward, it’s about “° is supply is enhanced by Tamanuhiri, Maraetaha Inc and the Waingake area. Picture by Ben Cowper recognising the past and the most natural form of GDC. WATER WORKS: From left are GDC team leader drinking water Judith Robertson, GDC senior water supply offi cer Ralph Ogden, plant operator Brett Chisholm, Te Puna Kokiri Whenua Maori adviser Pania King, Maraetahi Inc chair Bella Hawkins, Allies Whakataka and Kay Robin of Ngai Tamanuhiri, and TROTAK funding and contracts manager Julie Conder. Picture by Liam Clayton SATurDAy, OCTObEr 24, 2020 3 PROFILE TRUE BLUE: All politicians try to make life better for their fellow New Zealanders, A tough game, says retired National Party East Coast MP and Deputy Speaker of the House Anne Tolley. but worth it Picture by Liam Clayton Fifteen years as the East Coast MP makes Anne Tolley Gisborne’s third longest serving MP over the past 150 years. She announced her retirement back in June and earlier this month, before the election, sat down with The Gisborne Herald’s Wynsley Wrigley to discuss political life — “the bad, and a little bit of the ugly”. nne Tolley’s political instincts “They’ve all put up with years of my “We possibly needed another three years.” “All they want is for their families to be remain strong four months after political career: the good, the bad, and a little Trade academies which allow young people normal.” announcing her retirement from bit of the ugly.” to start working on their trades qualifications She has two concerns for the future. politics. Mrs Tolley started political life in local- while still at school were important, she said. One is reform of polytechnics, including A“I get passionate and yell at the television,” body politics. “People learn in different ways. EIT Tairawhiti, and the other is the she said. She was a Napier city councillor from 1986 “Many young Maori men are kinetic amalgamation of health boards. “But you make your decision that you’re to 1995 and served as deputy mayor for six learners — they learn by touch, feel and by “We must not lose our district heath board going and you move on.

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