Local projects gain an international audience at Water New Zealand + IWA event

The ambitious mahi undertaken by Water New Zealand to combine and align its 2025 conference with the International Water Association - nine years in the making - saw a massive turnout of 2,494 delegates and exhibitors from around 50 countries pour into Ōtautahi Christchurch for the 10th IWA ASPIRE Conference and Water New Zealand Conference and Expo from 29 September to 3 October. 

Water New Zealand CE Gillian Blythe said the event showcased “the best of global research and practical know-how” through more than 200 technical presentations across 13 separate streams spanning smart solutions, AI and digital innovation, asset management and approaches to water management, climate resilience, and governance, with a special focus on nature-based solutions and the inter-connectedness of water, land, and people.

The event was widely described as the largest-ever international water conference to be hosted in Aotearoa and was notable for shining a spotlight on indigenous solutions for water sustainability. 

In pre-conference media coverage on Waatea News, Solstice Morrison, Māori Strategy Lead at Aurecon, commented on the potency of having Māori voices and other indigenous perspectives from around the globe put “at the center rather than the periphery”. 

During the conference Waatea News also reported on the presentation given by Helmut Modlik, the Tumu Whakarae of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, on the establishment of a Water Training Centre of Excellence - known up to this point as The Wai Project. To learn more about Ngāti Toa’s Wai Project see this Presentation (PDF) and/or a video on YouTube titled ‘Bringing it together: The Wai project in Wellington with Hera Whaanga and Bianca Elkington’. 

Meike van Ginneken, Netherlands Special Envoy for International Water Affairs, was among the participants and joined a panel discussion about resilient drinking water and sanitation services, and resilience planning for natural disasters. The full extent of conference papers can be accessed on the Water NZ website, along with conference videos offering a summary of each day. 

Excellence Award for constructing new wetlands 

Following its normal format, Water New Zealand conference awards were presented at a gala event, sponsored by Downer, on the evening of 1 October. 

On the night the Environmental Sustainability Project Award went to the Pongakawa and Te Rere I Maniatutu Constructed Wetland Project - an innovative project constructing new wetlands to improve water quality by converting farmland in Bay of Plenty’s Waihī estuary catchment. 

As part of the bigger picture of this, it can also be noted that the Waihī Estuary Catchment Wetland Restoration was worked on extensively by Boffa Miskell through a project team of Matt Peacocke, Tessa Milne and Jeremy Garrett-Walker. 

As observed by Matt in a LinkedIn post: “Wetlands are the lungs of the whenua, breathing life back into the Waihī estuary”.

Dr Chris Tanner and Dr Brandon Goeller of the new public research organisation Earth Sciences New Zealand said the Water New Zealand excellence award highlights how combined efforts can establish wetlands to reduce pollutants and improve the health of ecosystems. The pair worked on the project as part of the Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change programme funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries. 

Dr Tanner: “​​These Bay of Plenty examples show that wetlands also restore biodiversity by boosting indigenous wetland habitat, enhancing cultural values, and contributing to climate change mitigation by storing carbon.” 

Earth Sciences New Zealand has been leading initiatives with rural industries, councils and farmers to support the uptake of constructed wetlands as a practical mitigation tool to reduce diffuse contaminant losses from productive land use. This includes publication of a Constructed Wetland Practitioner Guide and training courses to demonstrate the appropriate design and performance of constructed wetlands.

The project is a powerful example of what can be achieved when landowners, local government, government agencies, researchers and iwi come together with a shared vision, says Jackson Efford, Bay of Plenty Regional Council principal advisor, Land and Water. 

“We couldn’t do this without the skills, experience and enthusiasm of many groups and individuals, but particular thanks must go to the landowners. They had the foresight and commitment to find solutions that would help achieve sustainable land management – not just for them, but the wider catchment”.

“Bay of Plenty Regional Council sees projects like this as essential to striking the balance between primary production and environmental health. We know that improving water quality in places like the Waihi Estuary will take time, sustained effort and a mix of solutions. Constructed wetlands are one of the most promising tools we have and, as we continue to learn from projects like this, we’ll be better equipped to scale up our efforts and deliver lasting change for our waterways”.

For further information read Earth Science NZ’s story Wetlands win proves power of partnership to improve water quality - co-published on the Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council website under the headline Constructed wetlands project receives national award for environmental sustainability.

Additional Reading

Water, Wetlands, International Everts, #Around-the-motu, #Around-the-worldStephen Olsen