Reconnecting whānau with whenua: Ohaki Hapū Partnership
The Tahorakuri A1 Section 30 Ahuwhenua Trust wanted to reconnect their community with its geothermal land. Working alongside GNS, the partnership project team combines geoscience with mātauranga-a-hapū.
This will ultimately create a better understanding of the land, its history and cultural significance, which will then enable the Trust to safely establish income-generating eco-papakāinga, as a means to protect, preserve and develop the area.
Tess Kora, from the Trust and hapū, is excited about the partnership with GNS, acknowledging it as “an important first step towards recovering and healing our whenua, and understanding more about our options for sustainable eco-development.”
The project has involved the collation of existing geological knowledge, geophysical datasets, groundwater models and historical photography, as well as the gathering of hapū oral histories.
“The beauty of this project is that it combines geothermal and fresh water data and research, alongside cultural resources, which we can then use to understand the past with a view to informing future economic development opportunities for the hapū,” said GNS project leader, Dr Anya Seward.
