Te Awarua o Porirua

Ngāti Toa Rangatira is the kaitiaki of the harbour, its resources, and the countless sacred and historical sites located in the vicinity of the harbour. 

Te Awarua o Porirua is of primary cultural, historical, spiritual, and traditional significance to Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The harbour includes both the Pauatahanui and Onepoto arms. Ngāti Toa Rangatira continues to have a very strong association with the Te Awarua o Porirua which has played a fundamental role over the generations in sustaining their physical and cultural needs and is integral to the identity of the iwi. 

The harbour is a significant marine and coastal inlet and tidal area. The Pauatahanui arm of the harbour is the only large estuarine wetland left in the lower half of the North Island and covers an area of 4,500 hectares, of which about 1,100 hectares are tidal flats. The inlet's catchment covers an area of 100 square kilometres. The awa is hugely significant for shellfish and fishing.  

Te Awarua o Porirua has been degraded by historical and contemporary activities which have included substantial reclamation, water pollution, waste discharges, commercial fishing and siltation. As a shallow inlet, the harbour became a location for the railway, highways, commercial activities and the disposal of wastewater from the 1880s onwards.  

Currently, management of the harbour is divided between multiple organisations such as councils and central government agencies. This situation results in dysfunctional and divided approaches which can hamper integrated catchment planning. Ngāti Toa Rangatira is determined to establish a new co-governance model that brings all the key government agencies together with the iwi as a united approach. 

Te Rūnanga is preparing an Iwi Environmental Management Plan for Te Awarua o Porirua. This plan includes a Poutiaki Plan provided by the Ngati Toa Rangatira Claims Settlement Act 2014. 

There are many ways Ngāti Toa Rangatira are involved with the cultural heritage and environmental restoration of Te Awarua o Porirua. Events, groups and initiatives include waka ama, environmental education with tamariki; planting of riparian waterways; monitoring of the environmental health of the harbour and testing of shellfish and controlling pests and weeds. The iwi also works with the Department of Conservation in the protection of marine mammals such as dolphins and orcas.