More than 200 springs, including Taniwha Springs, flow from several hectares of land north of Lake Rotorua. Their waters mingle to form a lively, gushing stream that is pure and snow-cold.

Like the local children today, Te Rangikeheke Bidois played in Awahou Stream as a child. “There’s a photo of me as a 3-year-old sitting on a patch of grass in the middle of the stream, with water bubbling past. Everything was in its natural state then.”

“Nā mātou o te wai, nā mātou anō te kōrero – we are people of the water and this is our kōrero (story). I’ve drunk this water my whole life. Our people travel all over the world but the sense of belonging to this place never leaves us. We have this unbreakable connection to the whenua (land) and the wai (water). Because we have the knowledge of the wai, we have the say.”

In 1966, 1 hectare of land in Taniwha Springs was acquired by the then Rotorua Borough Council to supply water to the nearby township of Ngongotahā. Within this area was a major spring called Te Waro Uri. The acquisition triggered a significant grievance between iwi and the council. Assisted by a Treaty of Waitangi claim, iwi kaitiakitanga (guardianship) over the springs was eventually restored in 2014 and the current Rotorua Lakes Council returned the land in 2018. Today the Ngongotahā Municipal Water Supply is co-managed by Ngāti Rangiwewehi and Rotorua Lakes Council through the Pekehaua Puna Reserve Trust Joint Resource Consent and Management Agreement.

“We received an apology from the Crown, but what was done has caused deep mamae (hurt) to our old people. Although every generation inherits that mamae, we’ve never lost the connection to our water.”

Ngāti Rangiwewehi are also proud of their pragmatism and resilience and have found ways forward. “As an iwi we value our ability to manaaki (care for) others. We see the bigger picture of how this resource that’s our taonga (treasure), has been able to sustain the wider community.”

Since 2014, the resource consent to take water from Taniwha Springs has been of prime interest to Ngāti Rangiwewehi. Iwi were concerned that a proposed increase in volume would negatively affect the mauri (life force) of the stream, especially if housing in the area increased.

Enter Paul White, a GNS Science geohydrologist based in Taupō. Paul was invited by Ngāti Rangiwewehi to bring science alongside iwi mātauranga (knowledge). He provided advice that allowed iwi to determine how much water could be taken without compromising the mauri of the stream. This level – the ‘kaitiaki flow’ – was decided through three hui (meetings) in 2017 and 2018.

Several questions informed discussions at the hui including: Why do we feel it is important for us to protect and care for our wai? How should we acknowledge the pūrākau (stories) of our taniwha and our waterways? What regular scientific information do tangata whenua need to know about their waterways? What role do iwi have in ensuring water allocation doesn’t impact negatively on the wai?

Paul and his colleagues researched the extent of the catchment and modelled how water enters the springs. They advised on what could influence the water flow and quality, and created images of how different consent conditions would change the appearance of the stream.

Iwi decided that water use would be allowed when the stream flow was greater than the kaitiaki flow (defined as 90 per cent of the natural flow). Kaitiaki flow is now part of the Taniwha Springs water supply consent application. Also, a new permanent flow measurement site will be installed to provide iwi with monitoring data.

“We’re pleased to have had this opportunity in partnership with our local authority, to show how mātauranga Māori can ensure this resource is used sustainably. We want to encourage other iwi and Te Tiriti (Treaty) partners to look at how they can use their unique mātauranga and modelling in their own contexts. Together, we can all ensure the wai is there to sustain our people and provide for future generations.”