Green Party leader James Shaw said the struggle of local hapu to protect the Poroti Springs from exploitation by water sellers - and the despair of watching the resource diminish for various reasons - is mirrored all over New Zealand.
Mr Shaw, Green Party MP Marama Davidson and Whangarei candidate Ash Holwell visited Maungarongo Marae yesterday to meet Whatitiri Maori Reserves Trust members, representing three hapu, Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau and Te Mahurehure.
The trust has objected to the effects of water extraction from above and below the springs for decades, trustee Hona Edwards said.
He said the water "was being stolen" and the trust was "devastated" that a private company, Zodiac Holdings New Zealand Spring Water brand, had a 35-year permit to take millions of litres a year.
While other people benefited from using the water, the hapu had accumulated "books" of documentation from dealing with local government, the Waitangi Tribunal and other authorities, trust members told the Green Party contingent.