It has four representatives of special interests - Nicole Dryden for recreation, Rory Smith for tourism and Keith Beautrais for conservation and environment. The fourth, Geoff Burton, representing primary industry, has stepped down and a replacement is being sought.
The special interests representatives are appointed through a Horizons Regional Council process and the council is now looking for a new representative to speak for primary industry. Applications close on May 28, and there is a job description on the Horizons website.
The first meeting of Te Kōpuka nā Te Awa Tupua was at Te Ihingarangi Marae in Waimiha in May 2019. Waimiha is between Benneydale and Ongarue, near the river's northernmost tributary.
Te Kōpuka has been meeting almost monthly since May 2019, at marae throughout the river's catchment. When Covid-19 came along more meetings were held at the Ngā Tāngata Tiaki office in Victoria Ave.
Members of Te Kōpuka did not want to speak for the group and would comment only as individuals.
In the early meetings there was a lot of whakawhanaungatanga, the establishing of links, Beautrais said.
There was a lot of information to be established first.
"The very important thing has been to get all those people understanding the history and where it's coming from, developing communication strategies and looking at what might be in a plan, and how it would be generated, and the process of consultation so that people are all involved," Beautrais said.
It's an iwi-led process, and he said he was happy with progress, which was now moving towards consultation.
Beautrais said it was a privilege to be involved in such a "long-running and dignified" legal case for the rights of an iwi around a river. The iwi showed leadership and wisdom by saying the river was an entity in itself, rather than talking of ownership.
Beautrais said he predicted good things would come of it.
"To me it's an invitation for us all to behave as a bicultural community with respect for the environment. It's an opportunity to rebuild and restore and be involved and inspire young people into a new relationship with the environment."
Smith was also positive about the process and the likely outcome. He said someone would soon be appointed to progress the plan.
Te Kōpuka was a good forum to get a lot of points of view, Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said. He liked having meetings all around the catchment, because it showed the extent and influence of Te Awa Tupua.
At a November 2019 meeting Turama Hawira, one of the river's two pou tupua, laid out the key strands of the river's history.
His knowledge was deep, McDouall said, and having that opened up to the group was special.
"That was quite extraordinary to hear it first hand and begin to understand the innate importance of the awa to the communities and to the environment around."
Being part of Te Kōpuka had been "fascinating".
"This is a process that will need to take its own time," McDouall said.
Beautrais is planning a Nature Talk next month that will include a display and he has asked an iwi leader to speak on river history, the group's aim and how people can contribute. The talk is at 7.30pm on June 15 in the Davis Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum.
