Tō mātou whakakitenga mō te wai māori Our vision for fresh water

The Auckland vision for fresh water is to protect and enhance Te Mauri o te Wai, the life-sustaining capacity of water.

The Auckland vision for fresh water is ‘to protect and enhance Te Mauri o te Wai, the life-sustaining capacity of water’.

This vision expresses the shared commitment of council, mana whenua and our communities to maintaining and improving water quality in Auckland.

It supports the Auckland Water Strategy and is informed by an understanding of current pressures on fresh water.

Water that has mauri (life force) can sustain ecosystems. It is drinkable and swimmable, clean, and healthy. It sustains life and that is what gives it mana.

Where mauri is strong, resources and taonga (treasures) will flourish. If mauri is weakened or undermined, this results in decay and low productivity.

Where we focus on protection and restoration of te wai (water), then te wai in turn provides for us.

Te Mana o te Wai is about the importance of water and recognises that protecting the health of fresh water protects the health and wellbeing of the wider environment.

It protects the mauri of the wai and encompasses the relationship between water, the wider environment and our communities. It is also a fundamental concept of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.