Have your say on restoring and protecting Kāpiti's freshwater

Tukuna mai he korero mō te whakaora me te whakamaru ō te wai māori ō Kāpiti

You can help shape how we care for freshwater in Kāpiti for generations:

Complete the 5-minute survey now

Email us to register your interest in a face-to-face workshop

What is a Whaitua?

In the Wellington Region we have five ‘whaitua’ - which is a Te Reo Māori word for space, or catchment. In a whaitua, freshwater is connected from the mountains to the sea. Healthy water is central to our lives. Freshwater needs to be protected and restored as healthy waterbodies, and for the communities’ connected with it. Every whaitua is different, so we look at them individually. And now, we turn our attention to Kāpiti.

The Whaitua Kāpiti is all the waterbodies from just north of Ōtaki through to Paekākāriki and right up into their headwaters in the Tararua Range.

Whaitua Kāpiti Committee

A team of community members, mana whenua, Kāpiti Coast District Council, and Greater Wellington representatives known as the Whaitua Kāpiti Committee will make recommendations how to restore freshwater in Kāpiti. They will draw on the views and aspirations of the many people who call Kāpiti home.

The Committee will describe ways to protect and restore freshwater now and for future generations - such as managing contaminants, water allocation and flows, and setting freshwater aspirations as for the waterbodies throughout Kāpiti.

We are interested in freshwater. This means the water in our rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, springs and underground in aquifers and their flow on effects to estuaries and the coast.

Your aspirations

We're seeking your freshwater aspirations because everyone has a unique perspective on how we protect our fresh water. We can't do it without you.

This is your opportunity to provide your views into what needs to be done to restore healthy freshwater in Kāpiti.

You can have a say on Kāpiti's fresh water in two main ways.

E rua ngā kōwhiringa kia tukuna mai ō whakaaro mō te wai māori ō Kapiti

1. Fill in our 5-minute survey. Don't leave it too late - the survey will close on 22 November 2022.
2. Come along to a face-to-face workshop.

Our workshop

Join us in us in Kāpiti on 24th November for a community workshop at Robins Nest, Nga Manu Reserve at 6pm. You’ll meet with others to share ideas and provide deeper input into restoring and protecting wai ora, freshwater.

We want to ensure that workshops include the values, experiences, and views of our diverse Kāpiti communities. Anyone who would like to contribute to the kōrero is welcome to come along. We particularly welcome Māori, Pasifika, ethnic communities, rangatahi, disabled, rainbow and people living in rural communities.

Our workshop will be accessible and inclusive. Please let us know how we can support you in attending.

If you’d like to attend, please register here.

What will happen with the information you share?

Ka ahatia ngā korero kua tohaina e koe?

Your feedback will be put together in an independent report for the Whaitua Kāpiti Committee. This report will help the Whaitua Committee develop the Whaitua Implementation Programme to suit Kāpiti's needs.

Keeping you informed about the findings

Kia whakamohio ai koe ki ngā otinga ō tēnei mahi

When the findings are ready to be released, we will send you a link to the report and provide it on the Greater Wellington website. You can also join our mailing list so we can keep you up to date on restoring and protecting Kāpiti's freshwater and opportunities to have a further say.

Want to know more about the Whaitua process?

Kei te hiahia koe te mohio mō te tikanga Whaitua?

Our website has more detail about the Whaitua process. You will also find completed Implementation Programmes for Te Whanganui-a-Tara Whaitua, Ruamāhanga Whaitua, and Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua.

Any questions?

He pātai?

Email us at whaitua@gw.govt.nz to ask questions, want to speak to someone, or to sign up to our mailing list.