bnr_Te Puna Waiora o Nukutaurua Mahia Freshwater
  1. We are WSP
  2. What we do
  3. PROJECTS
  4. Te Puna Waiora

Te Puna Waiora o Nukutaurua – Māhia Freshwater StoryMap

Te Puna Waiora o Nukutaurua is a collaborative freshwater plan for Māhia Peninsula, blending iwi knowledge, community input, and geospatial storytelling.

Overview

The Māhia Peninsula is a geographically and culturally rich region located between Wairoa and Gisborne on the East Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand’s North Island. Defined by its deep connections to both land and sea, the area encompasses 12 freshwater catchments, expansive coastal environments, wetlands, lagoons, and small rural communities. It is the ancestral home of Rongomaiwahine Iwi, whose role as kaitiaki (guardians) is central to the stewardship of this unique landscape.

In response to environmental pressures such as erosion, declining water quality, and the impacts of climate change, Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust developed Te Puna Waiora o Nukutaurua—a comprehensive freshwater plan shaped by iwi knowledge and community input. To support the implementation of this plan, WSP partnered with the Trust to co-develop an interactive StoryMap that would make the plan more accessible, engaging, and actionable.

Using Esri’s ArcGIS StoryMaps platform, the project integrated geospatial data, cultural narratives, and environmental science to visualise the state of freshwater across the peninsula. The StoryMap supports community engagement, decision-making, and long-term planning, while also building digital capability and data sovereignty for the iwi. The project was guided by the He Waka Taurua framework, which brings together Māori and non-Māori knowledge systems in a collaborative, respectful way.

Location

  • Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

Project Status

  • Completed

Project objectives

The project focused on key goals, including:

• Visualise the Māhia Freshwater Plan in an interactive, user-friendly format
• Support iwi-led freshwater planning and restoration
• Build digital capability and data sovereignty for Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust
• Enhance community engagement and understanding of freshwater issues

Key features

The platform offers several features, such as:

• 3D catchment maps showing freshwater health and restoration opportunities
• Cultural narratives and whakataukī curated by the iwi
• Biodiversity layers highlighting taonga species and vulnerable ecosystems
• Case studies of successful restoration efforts (e.g. Ōpoutama Wetland, Whangawehi Catchment)
• Visual timeline and closing reflections on future aspirations

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Our role

WSP worked alongside Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust to co-develop the StoryMap through a collaborative and iterative process.

Key contributions included:

• Client engagement and collaboration: Face-to-face and online hui to understand iwi priorities and ensure the StoryMap reflected local values and aspirations.
• Data collation and integration: Compilation of national, regional, and local datasets, including freshwater health, land use, biodiversity, and cultural sites.
• StoryMap construction: Development of a visually engaging platform combining maps, narrative, imagery, and multimedia.
• Technology transfer: Support for the iwi to establish their own ArcGIS Online environment and manage their spatial data independently.

Seeing our own people engage with the StoryMap and recognise their rohe, their awa, and their history in it, was emotional. The StoryMap sparked kōrero, ideas, and a sense of pride that this was ours—not just data but our taiao visualised for the first time in this way.”

Outcomes

The Māhia Freshwater StoryMap has become a valuable tool for Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust, supporting both the implementation of their freshwater plan and broader aspirations for environmental stewardship and digital capability.

• Improved understanding and engagement: By presenting complex environmental data in a clear, interactive format, the StoryMap has made the Māhia Freshwater Plan more accessible to iwi members, stakeholders, and the wider community. It has helped foster a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities across the 12 catchments.
• Support for iwi-led planning: The StoryMap provides a practical platform for prioritising restoration actions, identifying areas of cultural and ecological significance, and guiding future land and water management decisions.
• Strengthened digital capability: Through the project, Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust established their own ArcGIS Online environment and gained hands-on experience in managing spatial data. This has laid the foundation for ongoing use of geospatial tools in planning, emergency response, and community engagement.
• Transferable approach: The collaborative methodology and use of StoryMaps demonstrated in this project offer a scalable model for other iwi and community-led initiatives. The success of the Māhia StoryMap highlights the value of combining indigenous knowledge with digital tools to support long-term environmental outcomes.