Lay summary
Te Taio o Utakura is a Maori community environmental group that has focused on the mauri of Lake Omapere and the Utakura River. Our research will explore the issue of water quality in the Utakura Valley in Hokianga and investigate effects on the health and wellbeing of mana whenua. The main question we wish to address is: what are the impacts of water quality in the Utakura River on the health and wellbeing of local people? We will collect data that improve our knowledge of the health of the waterways. We gather information and examine existing health records to better understand the health of the people. Bringing these two strands of knowledge together will help us to answer our question and strengthen our actions to restore and improve our river ma uta ki tai.