Pongakawa Hikoi/Cultural flow

Determining the cultural flow level for the Pongakawa River

The goal of this project is to determine a cultural flow level for the Pongakawa River. This will help define how much water can be taken from the river while still respecting its cultural values. To do this, we are monitoring the river from near its source through to Kaeaea (by the Old Coach Road bridge), focusing on key sites of cultural importance as we hikoi the “natural” part of the river. From Kaeaea, the river has been canalised. We are using a methodology developed by Dr. Gail Tipa. Who trained us in how to do the assessments. We have eight kaitiaki working in two teams of four. Each month, they paddle the river by kayak, starting from the

Rotoehu forest. The hikoi began in August 2024 with support from the Ministry for the Environment’s Mana o te Wai fund. It will run until October 2025, completing a full year of monitoring. Since September 2024, the work has been supported by fundraising through TAKT. The photos are a brief visual explanation of the project.