We are working closely with Whakatāne District Council and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa to ensure that planning to safeguard the town’s flood defence assets is aligned with the Te Ara Hou suite of projects.
We meet regularly with the Te Ara Hou team and are committed to open communication with iwi, hapū and wider community in the course of planning for these inter-connected, transformational, projects for Whakatāne.
We appreciate that the scope of work we are investigating will be of interest to Ngāti Awa, and of particular interest to Ngāti Hokopū. Council acknowledges the traditional values of mana, mauri, whakapapa and tapu which are central to the relationship of Ngāti Awa with the Whakatāne River.
Council also recognises that this iconic stretch of river holds a deep connection for our community and this project touches many interested parties.
This project aligns with Council’s strategic framework: Safe and resilient communities - We provide systems and information to increase understanding of natural hazard risks and climate change impacts.
We will share more information and seek public feedback on the project once more is known about engineering options.