Te Pu-a-nga Maara's Mission to Revive the Puhinui Stream
In the shadow of South Auckland’s industrial landscape lies a vital waterway that connects communities, iwi, and ecosystems. Te Puhinui awa (stream), once a thriving hub of life, has become the focus of an ambitious restoration project led by rangatahi (youth) who are determined to restore its mauri (life force). WiriLink sat down with Krissy Bishop, Mana Whakahaere at Te Pu-a-nga Maarato chat about how they are making a difference.
Te Pu-a-nga Maara is a rangatahi-led environmental restoration group, has been working tirelessly since 2017 to breathe new life into the Puhinui and surrounding areas. What began as a hui at Manurewa Marae, bringing together representatives from three marae, Manurewa, Makaurau Marae at Ihumātao, and Papatuuanuku Kōkiri, has evolved into a movement employing eight rangers, all under the age of 29.
“The Puhinui is the heartline of Manukau, and it connects a number of iwi boundaries. The maunga, the awa, the moana; it’s a triangulation of cultural indicators. If they’re not well, then the whole area is not well” explains Krissy.
Their container base on Harbour Ridge Drive, Manu Tangi Ata (named after the morning birdsong, an environmental health indicator), serves as their operations hub. From here, rangers head out to multiple sites across South Auckland, clearing pest plants, planting native trees, trapping, and water quality monitoring, one day at a time, slowly restoring the heartline of Manukau.
One of the organisation’s key differentiators is their approach to biodiversity. While council projects plant limited species in an area, Te Pu-a-nga Maara aims for at least 22 native species restoring many endemic species to the Puhinui, creating diverse healthy ecosystems that can naturally regenerate and support a wider range of wildlife.
“We’re currently doing a mapping exercise as there has never been a benchmark of what species are planted where, or what the baseline water quality was when restoration began. We need to be able to measure the impact we’re making.”
All plants are locally sourced, with seeds collected by the team and grown at both the nursery at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility and the Mana Whenua nursery at Makaurau Marae. This maintains the genealogical connection to the area ensuring the plants are well adapted to the local environment.
One of the most powerful aspects of Te Pu-a-nga Maara work is how it reconnects people to place providing connection between ancestral landmarks and their stories related to Mana Whenua of the area. The organisation works across multiple sites, Matukutuureia (McLaughlins Mountain) – a site that has been under DOC management for over a decade but holds deep significance as a former paa site.
“It’s not just a park. We wanted to save our history, revive local stories – it helps people know who they are and where they came from.”
For many young Maaori rangers, this is their first deep engagement with their cultural heritage.
“There’s this expectation that every Māori child comes knowing stories, local history, tikanga of marae – this is not the case”
By employing and training rangatahi, Te Pu-a-nga Maara is building capacity and connection simultaneously.
The work isn’t without its frustrations. Dealing with illegal dumping, navigating bureaucracy, and reporting pollution incidents that go unaddressed can be disheartening.
“We’d send in notification of a spill. Nothing would be done and the case closed.”
Despite these challenges, Te Pu-a-nga Maara continues to expand. They’ve recently established a crew in Tauranga and provide back-office support to other iwi and hapū groups establishing their own restoration programmes. The organisation hosts two major cultural events annually, including Matariki celebrations, and runs monthly give-back days with schools and corporate groups through the Sustainable Business Network.
“We’d love for local businesses to visit, see the progress we’ve made, and discover more about our environment” says Krissy.
If you’d like more information about Te Pu-a-nga Maara and their work on the Puhunui, contact the team at ta**@*****co.nz or visit their website www.tpnm.co.nz.
On 26 February 2025, Wiri Business Association is organising an event at TPNM headquarters. It’s your chance to get out in nature, see the work that’s going on at the stream and enjoy a delicious lunch. See our events page for more information.
