Integrated Freshwater Solutions Project (IFS)

Thu 5 Aug 2010: Integrated Freshwater Solutions Project (IFS)

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This brand new research project is focused on the Manawatū River and its catchment area. The timing of the project has followed public outcry and media attention, a statement issued in Nov 2009 said that tests on 370 rivers worldwide showed that the Manawatū River was, "one of the worst polluted rivers in the Western World”. Scientists and representatives from three (3) neighbouring Iwi whose whānau, Hapū and Marae have close connections and linkage to the Manawatū River met and decided to support a bid to the Foundation for Research , Science and Technology –FRST.

Project Name: Known as Integrated Freshwater Solutions - IFS

Project Terms: FRST formally approved the research project on 7th July 2010, for a period of three (3) years, with an annual allocation of $350,000.00 and a total research funding value of $1.050.00 million.

Project Participants

Horizons Regional Councils - HRC
Department of Conservation - DOC
Farming Sector – NZ Federated Farms
Ministry for the Environment - MfE
Muaūpoko Tribal Authority - MTA
New Zealand Fish and Game - NZFG
Ngāti Raukawa Iwi – Ngā Kaitiaki o Ngāti Kauwhata Inc
Rangitāne o Manawatū - TMI
Regional Council Water Scientists and Managers
Vision Manawatū –VM Ltd

Iwi Involvement
The IFS project is focused on the Manawatū River and its catchment area. It will enable three neighbouring Iwi, namely Rangitāne, Muaūpoko and Ngāti Raukawa to:

undertake individual research projects focused on their own local/community research needs;
provide a coherent inter-Māori “common ground” perspective on freshwater in the Manawatū region; and
to co-develop solutions with regional decision makers and other stakeholders through active participation in the proposed Mediated Modelling (MM) sessions, with the tools to contribute Māori values, and their relationships to resources within place

Case Study Area
Locally and with the recommendation of Taiao Raukawa Trust, it has been agreed that Ngāti Kauwhata will spearhead the Iwi research project and associated activities for Ngāti Raukawa around “the confluence of the Ōroua River” where it meets the Manawatū River at Rangiotu – near Bainesse on SH 56.

The expected project outcomes are:

Three (3) Iwi-led research projects that relate to the Manawatū River;
An economic survey of fresh water ecosystem services;
A system dynamics model to evaluate scenarios for future adaptive management;
End-user capacity to use and maintain the system dynamics model;
Linked spatially explicit GIS, (Geographic Information Systems), capacity to evaluate probabilities of impact on freshwater systems from land use change;
A set of consensus recommendations among various scientists, stakeholders and policy makers as to the way forward;
Identify of gaps in relevant and pertinent knowledge; and
Inspiration for other regions

Updates for Ngāti Raukawa / Ngāti Kauwhata will be maintained on this website: www.taiaoraukawa.co.nz

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

CONTACTS:
Dennis Emery – Project Manager
E-Mail: db.emery@xtra.co.nz; Cell (0274) 753-293

For further information regarding this project click onto the following link: Integrated Freshwater Solutions Project