Nature Calls Project

Te Tūmatakahuki involvement in Nature Calls, Palmerston North City Council’s wastewater management project, and the work undertake since 2017 grounded in our shared responsibility to the Manawatū Awa.

Since 2017, Te Tūmatakahuki has been actively involved in Nature Calls, Palmerston North City Council’s long-term wastewater management project. The position of Te Tūmatakahuki has remained consistent from the outset:

“The discharge of human wastewater to the Manawatū Awa is fatally flawed and fundamentally unacceptable”

Our engagement has spanned almost a decade of technical assessments, cultural framework, formal submissions, collaborating, workshops, correspondence, and hui. The purpose of this page is to document how Te Tūmatakahuki has participated in Nature Calls, the contributions made by our hapū, and the positions taken.

For our whānau, this is an opportunity to understand not only the decisions that have been made, but the work undertaken by Te Tūmatakahuki to uphold the mauri of the Manawatū Awa.

Our participation in Nature Calls has never constituted support for wastewater discharge to the awa. It has reflected out continuing responsibility to ensure the values, relationships, interests, and aspirations of Ngāti Raukawa hapū are represented in decisions affecting our ancestral waterway.

Understanding the kaupapa

Nature Calls is Palmerston North City Council’s wastewater management project, established to determine how the city’s wastewater would be treated and discharged into the future.

Historically, treated wastewater from Palmerstong North has been discharged into the awa at Tōtara Road.

Throughout the project, Council considered different wastewater management approaches, including discharge to land and continued discharge to the awa.

During the final phase of option assessment in 2026, the focus narrowed to two options: continued discharge at Tōtara Road or arrangements involving Tōtara Road and a new discharge location at Ōpiki.

Make it stand out.

  • Dream it.

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  • Build it.

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • Grow it.

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Clarity Backed by Expertise

Which core services do you offer?

1

We deliver advisory and implementation services in strategy, operations, marketing, and technology.

How do you determine project pricing?

2

We calculate fees based on scope, complexity, and projected resources, then present a transparent proposal.

What is the typical project timeline?

3

Engagements range from two weeks for focused audits to several months for comprehensive transformation.

Do you support implementation after recommendations?

4

Yes, we remain actively involved until solutions are fully operational and staff are confident.