Tonga Māori councillor’s life follows river’s flow

AuthorJanine Baalbergen
Published date09 March 2023
Publication titleGuardian, The
The Whirokino Cut, as it is known, has been the bane of life in Foxton ever since, and the Foxton River Loop has since been described as a smelly, dirty backwater full of weeds and sediment

One affected local is Horizons Regional Council’s Tonga Māori councillor Te Kenehi Teira, who is passionate about his town, his river, and local history. He chairs the local historical society.

The Foxton man also brings years of experience working in local government and Government agencies to the council table. Despite that knowledge, the role has been an eye-opener for him.

“I thought I knew a lot, but I am learning new things each day. I thought I knew a lot about local government too, but this was a huge learning curve.”

As a member of Horizons’ Manawatū River Users Group he said he has learned much about how others elsewhere in the region deal with freshwater issues.

“We also had a few workshops to help us come to grips with how scientists talk,” he said.

He has found the team at Horizons very supportive of new councillors, who must learn a lot in a short period of time.

He has been intrigued by the work done on the Manawatū River Gorge, for example.

“I pick up ideas from around the region that might work here, and am hoping to get the same level of support iwi there have to Foxton. The Save The River Trust is doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to the Foxton river loop.” He said his role as regional councillor is a great opportunity to connect people.

He said he is pleased more people are now using the river loop for recreation, even since the new reserve behind Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom was put in and a lot of sediment was taken out of the river, though each time the floodgates open, a lot of sediments flow back in. That is already showing.

“Waka Ama, rowers and a surf club are using the river again.” He said as a child, he used to fish in the river. “People stopped doing that a long time ago.”

He spent 20 years working for what is now called Heritage NZ, leading the team that looked after Māori heritage and archaeology, where the environment was an important component in heritage preservation. He is keen on community service.

“Things happen when people talk to each other.”

He said he believed the national perspective on freshwater — regarding both natural and man-made systems — was not well-co-ordinated.

“That is what Three Waters is about, but that is also about power.”

Stormwater issues that have been plaguing his hometown for generations, and the...

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