New Te Waihora Co-Governance website builds on a decade of achievement

The Te Waihora Co-Governance partners have reached another important milestone to mark a decade of successful restoration activity in and around Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere.

The partners are:

• Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
• Environment Canterbury
• Christchurch City Council
• Selwyn District Council
• Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai

Building on the mahi

Co-Chairs Liz Brown (Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu) and Jenny Hughey (Environment Canterbury) said building on all the mahi that has gone before, the Co-Governance partners were delighted to launch a new website on behalf of the partnership.

“The website will play an important role in telling the full story of the taonga on our doorstep,” they said. “It will also be a vital vehicle as we enter an exciting new phase in the restoration of the mauri of Te Waihora, a place of exceptional ecological diversity and significance.

“We can reflect on a decade of successful joint mahi, exemplified by Whakaora Te Ahuriri project and now we are looking to the future with projects like Whakaora Te Waikēkēwhai.

The Co-Chairs said they particularly acknowledged the mahi of all the Co-Governance partners and Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki, Taumutu, who generously gifted their Te Waihora pūrākau to use on the site.

Sharing the history of Te Waihora

Liz Brown and Jenny Hughey said the fascinating history timeline on the new website was the first time that all this information could be found in one place.

“It includes gems such as footage of the 1964 national waterskiing championships which were held on the lake,” they said.

“However, it also relates sobering stories of injustice, particularly in terms of the way Ngāi Tahu and their taonga mahinga kai have been treated in the past.

“Recent history is much more positive with all the collaborative mahi that has been done through programmes such as Whakaora Te Waihora including the exciting project that has created the wetland at Te Ahuriri. 

“We look forward to the whole community contributing their stories to add richness to the already fulfilling tale of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere,” the Co-Chairs concluded.