Wai Ora

Ka ora te wai                     If the water is healthy

Ka ora te whenua             The land will be nourished

Ka ora te whenua             If the land is nourished

Ka ora te tangata             The people will be provided for

Māori have a close relationship with water in all its forms. Water is a taonga (treasure) of huge importance to mana whenua and enhancing the health and wellbeing of our waterways is a priority. Māori often consider their personal health and collective health to be closely linked to the health of their water bodies.

Māori have recognised roles and responsibilities as kaitiaki (guardians) of our natural resources. They work together with Greater Wellington to achieve our dual roles of sustainably managing and protecting natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations.

Greater Wellington recognises the importance of the perspective of mana whenua and the traditional Māori knowledge of mātauranga Māori, and is working to provide a balance between this and scientific knowledge into our activities and projects. With a resource like water, this is particularly important because we know that water management needs to be looked at from multiple angles and perspectives in order to protect this resource.