Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Waitangi hīkoi focuses on Hokianga Harbour water quality

By Peter de Graaf
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
6 Feb, 2019 04:45 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Northland Green Party candidate Godfrey Rudolph leads a hikoi calling for an end to pollution of the Hokianga Harbour. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Northland Green Party candidate Godfrey Rudolph leads a hikoi calling for an end to pollution of the Hokianga Harbour. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Hokianga residents upset about the water quality in their harbour have used a Waitangi Day protest to draw national attention to the issue.

Led by Green Party candidate Godfrey Rudolph, who has whakapapa to the Hokianga, the marchers chanted "Hokianga no paru!" (pollution) and carried placards with slogans such as "Keep kaka out of our moana".

The march followed the traditional hīkoi route from Te Tii Marae up Tau Henare Drive to the Treaty Grounds' top entrance, circled the flagpole – prompting grumbles from a few people who had come to watch the Navy band perform – and ended at Te Whare Rūnanga, the carved meeting house.

Most of the 100 or so marchers had travelled from the Hokianga to take part. They were joined by half a dozen Green MPs, including Marama Davidson, who also has roots in the Hokianga and was the main speaker.

Tyla-Maree Davis-Watling needs no words to get her message across. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Tyla-Maree Davis-Watling needs no words to get her message across. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jessie McVeagh, of the environmental group Te Mauri o Te Wai, said the aim was to draw national attention to the state of the harbour.

"Our harbour is being polluted from lots of sources, but also from human waste. We've come to Waitangi because it is a Treaty issue – under Article 2 all the treasures, the taonga, were to be honoured. Water is one of those things and getting kai moana without the offence of human waste is another."

McVeagh said she was also petitioning central government to provide more financial support to small communities that couldn't afford proper wastewater systems on their own.

Dallas Williams, who represents the hapū of Omanaia, said effluent in the harbour – even if it had been treated – was not okay or culturally acceptable.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sewage was not the only cause of pollution but it was the current focus for the practical reason that a number of resource consents, starting with the Opononi-Omapere wastewater plant, were coming up for renewal soon.

The Far North District Council says it's not correct to say it's doing nothing about the sewage issues, and plenty of work is being carried out on the four treatment plants discharging into the harbour.

Discover more

Waitangi protest to focus on Hokianga Harbour pollution

24 Jan 12:00 AM

Council defends Hokianga sewage treatment

27 Jan 10:00 PM

Hokianga Harbour focus of Waitangi hīkoi

06 Feb 01:00 AM

Puhipuhi group wants toxic mine site cleaned up

07 Feb 01:00 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales
Northern Advocate

Far North homes without power after severe gales

More than 170 customers south of Cape Rēinga are still without power.

17 Jul 08:26 AM
'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi
Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

17 Jul 06:02 AM
Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

17 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP