Karamu Tākina Trust chair Robyn Bargh at Karamu Takina spring. Photo / Ben Fraser
A joint consent application to secure Rotorua city’s main drinking water supply for the next 35 years has been lodged, marking what the Rotorua Lakes Council calls a significant milestone in a partnership between itself and Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara.
Before the application was lodged with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, its councillors and staff were last month hosted at the Karamu Tākina puna (spring), at the base of Tihi‑o‑Tonga, off Great West Rd.
A joint statement from the Rotorua Lakes Council and Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara said the site, set within native forest, held deep ancestral significance for the Te Arawa hapū.
The statement said the visit focused on how Te Mana o te Wai – the principle that placed the health and wellbeing of water at the centre of decision-making – was being put into effect.
The partnership agreement, signed by the Rotorua Lakes Council and Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara in July last year, established a co-management framework for the Karamu Tākina spring.
Under the agreement, Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara, through the Karamu Tākina Trust, supported the council’s application to renew its water take consent, which expires in October this year.
The joint consent application was lodged on Thursday.
Subject to approval, it would secure the water supply, serving about 50,000 people, for a further 35 years, the statement said.
Karamu Tākina Trust chair Robyn Bargh said lodging the consent marked the end of a decades‑long journey and the beginning of a new chapter for Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara.
The joint consent also represented the culmination of years of collaborative work aimed at addressing past wrongs, meeting the city’s long-term water needs, and protecting a taonga of enduring importance.
The agreement formally acknowledged historical grievances, including the forced sale of land and the wrongful charging of water rates to Māori landowners, the statement said.
It also provided for the return of land at Karamu Tākina and the former tennis courts at Pururu North Reserve to Ngāti Kearoa Ngāti Tuara, and established a framework for co-management of the springs.
Bargh said one of the most significant outcomes of the agreement was that uri (descendants) were now able to return to the area.
One of the key points of discussion with the representatives from the regional council was the need to raise awareness of the origins of the water people consumed – and the importance of protecting and conserving it.
Bargh said the trust planned to lead initiatives to revitalise the site and share its cultural and environmental significance, including exploring educational opportunities and joint monitoring to protect the mauri (life force) of the puna.
Bargh said environmental restoration, which would include the Utuhina Stream, was also part of the long-term plan.
Rotorua Lakes Council said it had committed $2.4 million in infrastructure funding as part of the council’s Long-Term Plan, as well as an annual operational grant of $284,370 to help implement the trust’s initiatives. Annual capital expenditure on Rotorua drinking water ranged between $9m and $14m a year.
The Rotorua Lakes Council’s infrastructure and assets group manager, Stavros Michael, said the agreement demonstrated a genuine commitment to partnership, co-operation and co-management.
“We are bringing together knowledge and skills for the benefit of the whole community.”
According to the statement, the regional council delegation commented that the visit offered an opportunity to see how the partnership was formed and how it would benefit the wider community. They complimented both parties on what had been achieved, saying it could serve as an example for other local authorities.
If granted, this joint consent would be the second of its kind for the Rotorua Lakes Council, which also has a partnership with the Pekehaua Puna Trust – Ngāti Rangiwewehi which secured the supply of drinking water to Rotorua’s Ngongotahā community from Taniwha/Te Waro Uri spring.