Kaipara Uri and councils have signed off on a historic programme to help restore Kaipara Moana.
This follows the government’s announcement of $100 million in funding to assist with this restoration through a cross-regional programme that is expected to create around 300 jobs.
The historic signing of the Kaipara Moana Remediation on Saturday morning at Waihaua Marae, Arapaoa involved more than 160 attendees and 25 kaimahi.
In a statement, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua said, "It’s a joyous occasion, seeing mana whenua and councils working together to secure the $100 million funding for the future of the Kaipara moana."
Last October, the rūnanga were part of the Kaipara moana negotiations reference group which put forward a proposal for government funding alongside local councils. This scheme aims to improve the health of the Kaipara harbour by partnerships between mana whenua, councils, local communities, landowners and farmers to halve sediment loss from the land.
Programme partners say reducing sediment will improve freshwater quality, create greater biodiversity, improve resilience from climate change, and allow carbon sequestration through tree-planting and wetland management.
