Tēnā koutou katoa i runga i ngā ahuatanga o te wā,

We have had unprecedented, extreme weather over the last month and most recently, Cyclone Gabrielle. We hope that you and your whānau were safe and if you did need to evacuate that you were able to reach a nearby evacuation centre.

Our thoughts are with those in Te Matau-a-Māui and Te Tairawhiti who have also been severely impacted.

Ngā manaakitanga ki runga i a tātou katoa

Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council were active in supporting the community during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff stepped up and supported Bay of Plenty Civil Defence when the Group Emergency Coordination Centre was activated. There were staff offering logistics and operational support, as well as communications to help get messaging out to the public as the situation changed at pace. It was all hands on deck to help coordinate a regional response to the event.

On Monday 13 February, Regional Council activated the Flood Room, which meant the team was monitoring the situation and providing real-time information to supporting agencies (such as local councils and Waka Kotahi) to assist with their planning and responding to their communities.

We also had operations staff out in the field, who were checking the condition of our flood infrastructure, assessing the weather conditions in key areas and pumping out flood waters from affected drainage canals.

On Tuesday night, team members also provided support to local councils, who were evacuating communities, or setting up facilitates in preparation of any potential evacuations.

Once the situation deescalated and the forecast showed improved conditions, the Flood Room was deactivated. The Duty Flood Manager remained on call to provide an overview of river levels, weather patterns and forecasts affecting the Bay of Plenty.

Nau mai ki Komiti Māori

The Komiti Māori hui on Wednesday 22 February 2023 to be held in Council Chambers at Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga.

The meeting will commence at approximately 9:30am.

The meeting will be recorded and livestreamed. To watch the meeting live, click on the following link. The meeting agenda is now available on the Toi Moana website.

Presentations will be heard from:

• Summer Experience Programme - A selection of summer students will present key highlights from their experience in the Summer Experience programme.
• Climate Change from a Perspective of Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Islands - Kate Brown, Executive Director, Global Island Partnership
• Mahi, Mana and Life on the Land - Tangaroa Walker, Founder of the Farm 4 Life Hub

If you have any further questions, please contact Kataraina O'Brien.

Equitable Transitions Strategy - Climate Change consultation hui

Aotearoa New Zealand is working to prevent climate change by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. This will bring changes to how we live and what we do for work. Our transition to a low emissions future will bring opportunities, including higher-wage jobs, as well as challenges and disruptions, such as re-training people for low-emissions work and changing the way we get around. Some people and communities will be affected more than others.

A hui for the Waiariki region will be held in Eastbay REAP - Whakaari Room
21 Pyne Street, Whakatāne on March 8 from 4pm-6.30pm. Register for the hui by clicking on the button below. 

Te Kete Āhuarangi me Te Taiao - te ao Māori environmental research overview

The Ministry for the Environment is developing te Kete Āhuarangi me Te Taiao | the Environment and Climate Research Strategy to ensure that Aotearoa New Zealand has the science it needs for our environment to flourish. It is part of a bigger-picture transformation underway across the research, science, and innovation system.

It is essential that te ao Māori is woven through this strategy and that the integrity of the Mātauranga is preserved. We also want to address the inequities in the current system by applying guiding principles, founded in Te Tiriti, that pave the way to a more inclusive, accessible future for Māori in the environmental and climate research area.

There will be an opportunity to provide feedback on the strategy draft in late March/early April 2023. Please let us know if you would like to receive notification of this. Once the strategy is adopted in June 2023 we look forward to the opportunity for engagement around implementation – putting the strategy into practice.

Read about the upcoming changes for freshwater

Ngā panonitanga ki te whakahaeretanga o te wai māori i Te Moana a Toi outlines the Changes to Freshwater Management in the Bay of Plenty. This aligns with the work under the National Policy Statement for Freshwater (NPSFM 2020). It includes an update on work to date, and an overview of draft changes. 

If you would like more information please contact Stephen Lamb.

He Toka Tū Moana Scholarships now open

He Tokā Tū Moana Scholarships support students undertaking study or research that aligns with the enhancement and protection taiao. If you know someone who is in their second or subsequent year of study then encourage them to apply.

Applications for the Toi Moana Environmental Scholarship will open on 1 March 2023 and close 30 April 2023.