Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika expresses its profound disappointment at the ongoing discharge of untreated wastewater at Moa Point and the harm this continues to cause to our moana. As tāngata whenua, we hold an enduring responsibility to protect the whenua, wai, and moana of Te Upoko o te Ika.

This discharge is unacceptable and reflects a serious failure of infrastructure and governance. This situation requires accountability and a strengthened system.

This is not a new issue. Taranaki Whānui has raised longstanding concerns about wastewater infrastructure at Moa Point and Seaview. The current discharge highlights the fragility of this system and its direct impact on our moana, marine life, and communities.

For mana whenua, these waters are taonga with their own mouri, sustaining cultural practice, identity, and food sources. Infrastructure that allows wastewater to enter our coastal environment is fundamentally inconsistent with tikanga Māori and kaitiakitanga.

The public deserves clear and timely information. We expect transparency regarding the cause of this failure, the repair timeline, and the environmental impacts.

Recent leadership changes at Wellington Water reflect the seriousness of this situation and reinforce the need for strengthened governance. Historic infrastructure decisions made without kaitiakitanga at their core have directly contributed to the environmental and cultural harm we are now witnessing.

Taranaki Whānui is actively engaged in governance and the transition to the future water entity, Tiaki Wai, and will continue to exercise its responsibilities as mana whenua at all levels to protect and restore the long-term health and mouri of our moana.

Urgent and accountable action is required to restore the mouri of our moana and uphold the mana of our wai.

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