7 September 2021
At Waka Kotahi, we’re guided by the value of kaitiakitanga (guardianship). We seek to preserve New Zealand’s natural taonga (treasures) on all of our projects, often working with others to do this.
During construction of the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway the Tangata Whenua Working Group, representing Waikato Tainui, were front and centre for all ecological work and had kaitiaki (guardians) on site every day of the project.
“It provided the structure for Waikato Tainui and Waka Kotahi to move forward. It gave our people and marae a voice in the project,” says Jocelyn Berryman, Chair of the Tangata Whenua Working Group.
The project enhanced more than 700 hectares of ngahere (forest) and kūkūwai (wetland), through a combination of replanting native species, pest control and building culverts that allow ika (fish) to easily pass through and follow traditional migration routes.
Mudfish found next to the construction site had their habitat protected from local livestock by fencing and replanting. Skinks and geckos were found and relocated.
The Huntly section of Waikato Expressway was completed in 2020.
