A co-design journey - Cambridge WWTP

A collaborative journey with mana whenua and key stakeholders shaped our approach to the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project. The Waikato River is a key taonga for mana whenua, and deliberate effort was made to build collective understanding and shared ownership of decision making and co-management processes to achieve best-for-river outcomes under Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato.

Waipā District Council established a Kaitiaki Group so key decisions could be workshopped with mana whenua and environmental assessments could be shaped to acknowledge both western science and mātauranga Māori. This enabled us to gain a shared understanding of best-for-river outcomes.

We embedded a Mātauranga Matariki framework which underpinned every decision-making process on this project. Options were co-developed with the Kaitiaki Group, including methods for improving discharge quality and identifying a location for the discharge of treated wastewater.

Our approach has resulted in shared ownership of decisions, environmental solutions that are endorsed by mana whenua and the community (including submissions provided in support of a notified resource consent application) and strengthened mana whenua relationships. We believe this is the way forward to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the resource management space.

Effective co-management for the planning of wastewater servicing of communities relies on collaboration and effective partnerships with mana whenua. The Cambridge WWTP project showcases a necessary shift we must make to implementing collaborative design and planning approaches in the future.