Te Tauihu o te Waka – “Navigating the bow of the canoe, in the right direction, together”
What's the story?
Through kaitiakitanga practises, the iwi of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Rangitihi, and Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau have had a long-standing connection with the Tarawera Awa, their ancestral lands, wāhi tapu (sacred areas), and locations of cultural and spiritual importance.
The township of Matatā descends in the direction of Te Awa o Te Atua. The vast wetland that borders and surrounds Te Awa o te Atua has traditionally served as a habitat for many species, including inanga and tuna.
The Waitepuru and Te Awatarariki, two perennial streams that emerge from the hills, run from the township’s relatively high-water table. A rich tapestry of important culturally significant sites and wāhi tapu adorns Matatā’s larger environment.
Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau and Ngāti Awa, the tangata whenua of this rohe, have an obligation inherited from their tupuna to protect, maintain, and/or restore these sites of cultural importance to ensure that present and future activities, of any kind, do not negatively affect the mauri and mana of these important areas.
 Click to enlarge |  Click to enlarge |
 Click to enlarge |  What's the story? - (PDF, 1MB) |
Our why
The current wastewater management system in Matatā is failing. Despite ongoing efforts over several decades to establish a centralised wastewater solution, the town continues to struggle with poor wastewater management. The high groundwater levels and proximity to sensitive environmental areas render the current individual property septic tanks and disposal fields ineffective and unsuitable for the local environment. As a result, effluent from these aging systems is seeping into the environment, contaminating land and water that are crucial to the community and mana whenua relationships and connection with their rohe.
Learning from the past
While previous resource management attempts to improve the system have been unsuccessful, we now have a dedicated Te Niaotanga ō Mataatua ō Te Arawa Co-Design Group and Project Technical Team tasked with learning from the past and developing an effective solution through a genuine co-design approach.
A significant amount of work was undertaken on the previous projects, including two desktop reviews. These review processes reviewed relevant past information, reports and data to ensure the current technical team could learn from the past and inform future project phases. The two desktop reviews included both technical engineering and environmental science perspectives.
Co-design
Co-design entails designing with the people of Matatā, rather than for them. The Matatā Wastewater co-design group is made up of iwi and hapū representatives from Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, and Ngāti Awa through its hapū Ngai Te Rangihouhiri, Ngāti Hikakino and Te Tawera, to work collaboratively with the Council to co-design a solution.
Community engagement has occurred to date through regular updates to the resident association as well through the Matatā Matters pānui. As the project moves more into the options phase this year, wider opportunities for community feedback and discussion will be planned. While the co-design partners offer direction, advice and recommendations on the preferred option, the final decision on that option statutorily remains with Council.
Hikoi attendees at Otaramuturangi, 5 July 2022.
The project...
Will have significant outcomes for the Matatā community in having an efficient wastewater system. This project will provide a safe and reliable wastewater system, but it will also contribute to other key outcomes, including:
Protecting the local Matatā environment and public health
The environment plays a big part in people’s health and well-being. The new system will improve water quality and ecology in local rivers, drains, Te Awa o Te Atua (Matatā lagoon), and the Tarawera Awa. It will also contribute to restoring ground and surface water impacts caused by people’s wastewater septic tanks and high groundwater.
Additionally, this initiative supports tangata whenua in enhancing environmental outcomes for the land and waterways and in restoring the awa.
Environmental monitoring
In the early stages of the project, an Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) was developed to form a robust monitoring programme that could describe the existing environment and provide a baseline for future monitoring of the relevant receiving environments.
Surface and groundwater quality is monitored at various sites within the township and surrounds for a range of parameters, including physicochemical (e.g., dissolved oxygen, pH and conductivity), nutrients (e.g., nitrate-N, ammoniacal-N, dissolved reactive phosphorus, and total nitrogen and phosphorus) and faecal indicator bacteria (e.g., E. coli and Enterococci).). In addition, periodic Faecal Source Tracking (FST) analysis was undertaken on three occasions in 2022 and bi-monthly from 2023 onwards to identify the origins of faecal contamination.
Surface water sites selected for sampling include five sites within or upstream of the Matatā township, three sites along the Tarawera River (including one BOPRC monitoring site), two BOPRC monitoring sites in the Matatā Lagoon and a single site which is included in BOPRC’s On-Site Effluent Testing (OSET) programme. These sites have been monitored monthly since November 2021 and seven groundwater bores have been monitored since March 2022.
Check out our monitoring maps below:
- Groundwater sites map - (PDF, 3.4 MB)
- Environmental monitoring map - (PDF, 650 KB)
- Matatā Township and lagoon sample site map - (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Cultural outcomes
The restoration of the Mauri of Tarawera Awa ki Te Awa o Te Atua is at the heart of Ngāti Rangitihi’s 2022 Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement with the Crown. The Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group, which was established as part of Ngāti Rangitihi's historical claims, is comprised of one representative from each of the four iwi with an interest in the awa (Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Mākino, and Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau), and one representative from each of the three relevant local authorities, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council. They exist to support, co-ordinate and promote the integrated restoration of the mauri of the catchment. The creation and execution of the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Document (the Strategy Document) is their primary focus.
Consistency with Te Ao Māori principles
Ngāti Awa, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau and Ngāti Rangitihi all share the aspiration of safeguarding the taiao within the Matatā rohe. Priority is given to Tarawera Awa ki te awa o te Atua when considering restoration and protection. The implementation of a reticulated wastewater system in Matatā would facilitate the restoration of the mauri of Tarawera Awa and, furthermore, protect the cultural landscape, which is of the utmost importance to iwi.
Celebrating our cultural richness
The area of Matatā has a rich history. Through kaitiakitanga practises, the iwi of Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Rangitihi, and Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau have had a long-standing connection with the Tarawera Awa, their ancestral lands, wāhi tapu (sacred areas), and locations of cultural and spiritual importance.
Read more about the area's cultural richness - (PDF, 500 KB)
Long term growth and futureproofing
The Eastern Bay of Plenty is poised for growth, with increasing populations and expanding businesses. To support this progress now and for future generations, we’re creating Our Places – Eastern Bay Spatial Plan. This plan will outline where growth is desired across the region and provide a clear roadmap for making it happen.
It will be used in planning for development across the districts, while considering the wellbeing of both people and places. It will help shape what the Eastern Bay of Plenty could look like in 30-plus years and map out the path for how we can get there.
To manage development pressures, we are looking at if we can expand in areas such as Matatā, Awakeri, Tāneatua, Minginui, and Murupara. This would require expanding infrastructure, creating more jobs, and developing new residential areas.
Supporting Mana Whenua and Whakatane District's growth aspirations
The Matatā Wastewater Project (Stage 1) is designed to support Matatā’s growth up to approximately 400 homes (currently 260). The treatment plant will feature a modular design, allowing for future expansion as needed.
The three local iwi and hapū have also expressed aspirations for papakāinga development on their land to bring whānau home and foster economic development opportunities. Additionally, with the Rangiuru Business Park underway in the western Bay of Plenty and the Kawerau Industrial Park progressing, Matatā is strategically positioned to provide housing for workers in these growing employment hubs.
Sustainable and resilient
Central to managing risks, hazards and resilience is ensuring we have the right infrastructure in place, which is safe, supports community wellbeing and can respond to emerging risks such as climate change. By making sure investment is made up front with a short-medium- and long-term view in mind means we will have an asset that supports communities for the next 20, 50 and 100 years.
Purchase of Tahi Hill farm
Council has taken a significant step toward addressing long-standing environmental and public health challenges in Matatā by securing a key piece of land for a centralised wastewater system. The purchase of the property at 138 Caverhill Road marks a strategic move in the ongoing efforts to develop a much-needed wastewater treatment system for the area. Securing this property is a major step forward for the Matatā Wastewater Project. The land provides a foundation for us to create a more sustainable and environmentally responsible wastewater system that will benefit the entire community.
The 56-hectare property (below) will use approximately two hectares for the treatment facility, with approximately 15 hectares suitable for the irrigation of treated wastewater.
Media
October 2024 - Strategic land purchase paves way for Matatā Wastewater Project
The purchase of the property at 138 Caverhill Road marks a strategic move in the ongoing efforts to develop a much-needed wastewater treatment system for the area.
April 2023 - Steady progress being made on Matatā Wastewater project
The Matatā Wastewater project is progressing steadily with the project currently focused on environmental monitoring and identifying preferred discharge sites.
Matatā Matters
- Matatā Matters October 2021 - (PDF, 547 KB)
- Matatā Matters December 2021 - (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Matatā Matters April 2022 - (PDF, 488 KB)
- Matatā Matters September 2022 - (PDF, 690 KB)
- Matatā Matters December 2022 - (PDF, 3.9 MB)
- Matatā Matters April 2023 (PDF, 1.22 MB)
- Matatā Matters August 2023 (PDF, 533 KB)
- Matatā Matters October 2023 (PDF, 882 KB)
Historical updates
- March 2016 - Integrated wastewater solution progress reported
A field trip to investigate two integrated wastewater schemes has confirmed that the proposal to link a new Matatā reticulation system with upgraded wastewater treatment facilities in Edgecumbe and Whakatāne, with a common ocean outfall, would provide an effective solution for all three communities.
Further information is available in the media release »
- Matatā Wastewater Project update to Policy Committee - February 2016 - (PDF, 576 KB)
- Matatā residents newsletter update - February 2016 - (PDF, 136 KB)
- 2015 progress update
The Project and Services Committee, at its meeting on 2 July 2015, received a report on the Matatā wastewater project. That report proposed a programme of work to investigate other options for the supply of a Matatā community wastewater system, including consideration of any opportunities identified through the preliminary work in the District Wastewater Strategy review project. This report provides an update on the investigations of other options and proposes a pathway forward involving consultation and funding partner engagement.
More information is available in the report below.
Matatā Wastewater Options and Wastewater Strategy - (PDF, 1.45 MB)
Matatā Wastewater Scheme progress update - October 2015 - (PDF, 422 KB)
- 2014 progress update
March
Resource consents and land designations application were lodged with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Whakatāne District Council respectively and notified on 20 December 2013. Submissions closed on 10 Feb 2014.
11 submissions were received, including one late submission. Six submissions are opposing submissions.
Council’s staff is carrying on Matatā property visits to design wastewater house connections and carry out electrical audits of properties to assess connection of grinder pumps. By the end of March, most properties will have been visited. Property owners will receive letters with agreed grinder pump unit localisation drawings and requests to grant entry.
No physical works will be carried until resource consents and land designations are granted, but Council is progressing with preparatory works to secure Ministry of Health subsidy for the scheme.
Supporting documentation
- Matatā Wastewater Scheme - Resource Consents and Notices of Requirement - Assessment of Effects on the Environment - (PDF, 10.7 MB)
- Matatā Wastewater Scheme AEE Addendum 1 - (PDF, 1.8 MB)
- Matatā Wastewater Scheme AEE Addendum 2 - (PDF, 153 KB)
- Final Cultural Impact Assessment - Ngati Awa - (PDF, 706 KB)
- Final Cultural Impact Assessment - Ngati Rangitihi - (PDF, 189 KB)
January
The newsletter below outlines progress on the Matatā Wastewater Project, including information on resource consents, pressure sewer systems, and connection details for the reticulation network.
Matatā Wastewater Newsletter - January 2014 - (PDF, 523 KB)
- 2013 consultation
Consultation on Matatā sewerage scheme options was open between 11 March and 12 April 2013. The outcome of the Matatā Sewerage Scheme consultation will feed into the Annual Plan 2013/14.
Documents relevant to the consultation are listed below.
- Summary Consultation Material - Matatā Sewerage Scheme Options - (PDF, 628 KB)
- Full Report - Matatā Sewerage Scheme Options - (PDF, 1 MB)
- 2012 review
In early June 2012, the Whakatāne District Council initiated a review of the wastewater reticulation scheme which has been proposed for Matatā since 2004.
Below you will find the full report on the findings of the review which were reported to Council on 1 August 2012. A summary of these findings and the results of a questionnaire residents were asked to complete can also be downloaded below.
- Summary of findings - Matata Wastewater Scheme Project Review - (PDF, 430 KB)
For any other information, email us at MatataWastewaterProject@whakatane.govt.nz