From CollabLandWiki

ladn 412 2006

Victoria University of Wellington

School of Design

blog

STAGE 2: DEFINING YOUR POSITION

Issues facing the Wairoa Valley Catchment

• Pollution of the Wairoa River
• Ecology of river

- Salt marshes - Wet land health - Bird / animal decline

• Runoff, grey water and nutrient levels

• Population Growth:
• Subdivision
• Loss of identification of Pa sites
• Compacted community
• Development pressure
• Cultural conflict and land barrier/property boundaries

• Economic pressure
• Lack of intsentive for iwi members to stay active in iwi/community
• Lack of cultural identity

Map Investigations

Stage 2 Position

Tauranga as a region has a lack of cultural understanding of its heritage, which is evident in the manner which the environment is currently being treated. If there was an understanding of the importance the environment holds for the Maori people, there would be an enhanced approach to the treatment of the health and Mauri (life essence) of the land.

The Wairoa River is suffering from severe depletion of native flora and fauna and massive sediment build up from subdivision, reclamation, farm run off and general disrespect. The stress on the environment is a result of the population increasing dramatically, on a regional scale and the growing pressure of development. The Maori people, being traditional owners, see themselves to be Kaitiaki or guardians of the land/whenua so this current disrespect for the environment being inharmonious with the land is affecting the lifeblood or soul of the Maori belief culture.

Within planning and government systems and certainly with in our site there are many tensions associated to land based values. There is a need for negotiation between these systems; combined western and Maori views for a more Eurocentric approach with an overall collaboration of values and land based principles, a break down the ‘us’ and ‘them’ attitude.

HANDIN TWO

Scheme one

• Work with just the Ngati Kahu land
• Move Marae to a more internal location which will have a stronger relationship with the Awa (river) and whenua (land).
• Implement fortifications around the old pa sites (and maybe Urupa’s) so there is a stronger emphasis on the past conflicts and the paths of the ancestors.
• Form a fortification type boundary to the Ngati Kahu area creating a type of Super Pa. - Is the pa settlement a sustainable urban form?
• The immediate ecology of the Marae land and river adjacent needs tending
• Visual barrier of the motor way bridge over the river. Possible planting strategies to disguise this infrastructure.

Scheme two

• The whole rivers ecology- rehabilitation of wetland/swamp environs.
• Aquaculture – better Kai sources
• Board walk public recreational infrastructure- this would create a guardian ship for all the locals
• Leave the Marae land as it is?

Scheme three

• Tourism venture conjoint river journeys with WaiMarino and Bethlehem collage.
• A layering of all three schemes would provide the best strategy for this scheme.
• This would mean ecology still has to be a major factor in the design.
• (Check what courses are run at Bethlehem collage- I think it’s a teacher’s collage?)
• River journeys would teach about the ecology of the environment itself, cultural myths and legends, actual retellings of history, etc.