Future Search Media Release

The Waiheke Marine Project’s eagerly anticipated Future Search event was held 30th October to 1st November 2020 with 76 people from diverse interests coming together to find agreed ways to protect and regenerate Waiheke’s marine environment.

The findings will be presented during a public expo at MORRA hall on Thursday 26 November, when the wider community is encouraged to provide feedback and participate in action going forward.

Future Search follows a methodology for community decision making around complex issues. It has been developed and used around the world over many decades. A key element is ensuring there is a diverse range of stakeholders in the room to contribute an array of perspectives and knowledge. The Waiheke Marine Project invited mana whenua, scientists, locals, youth, conservationists, agencies, fishers and boaties, land interests and marine businesses.

The atmosphere was full of energy and expectation as the participants were welcomed by Ngāti Paoa on Friday morning at the start of the three-day hui at Ahipao in the former Harbourmasters building.  

The participants were initially mixed into working groups comprising one person from each stakeholder group to begin a series of guided conversations designed to discover common priorities and agreed actions.

On the first day of the hui the groups began by creating a timeline of Waiheke from the first waka journeys up to the present day. The benefits of diverse interests became immediately apparent as the participants combined their varying perspectives on Waiheke’s history.

Many remembered a time when the seas were bountiful and times were simpler, before Waiheke started to become increasingly urbanised. Others talked about the impacts of technology, legislation, fisheries, land development, tourism, and conservation projects. The youngest Future Search participants were just 14 years old, having grown up in the knowledge of climate change.

Future Search involved many fun and creative approaches to express ideas. In moving from a focus on the past to considering the present, everyone gathered together to create a giant visual mindmap of the trends they could see affecting the Hauraki Gulf. Later, the groups each came up with a performance to highlight how they saw the future evolving.

Lucy Tukua of Ngāti Paoa said one of the most important drivers was whakawhanaungatanga, building and deepening our relationships to one another and to the environment. “Many here have shared with me that this is the first time they’ve seen locals and experts coming together and talking under the same roof in this way,” she said. “Our whakatauki ‘Waiheke ki uta, ki tai, ki tua’ extends from the mountains to the sea and beyond. We are asking how we can be good ancestors for tomorrow; it’s about leaving a legacy for future generations”.

On the second and third days, the conversations deepened towards finding areas of common ground for marine protection and regeneration. Although not always easy - with both areas of agreement and areas of challenge - the participants were able to determine nine broad common statements and began identifying action plans for each.

With focus areas around education, clean water, a circular economy, Ahu Moana, co-design of a management framework, giving effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, local decision making and collaboration, it is clear that the Waiheke Marine Project needs to continue this mahi well into the future.

As one of the youth, Noa Clarkin said the event left him “feeling positively charged for the future after hearing the korero in the room and the diversity of voices. Our community has shown unity going forward.”

Serena Woodall agreed the event had given her hope. “I was really surprised how much common ground there actually is in this space,” she said. “The ocean is the livelihood for so many people in the room and it’s been awesome to see them coming together with the common goal of protection.”

Kathryn Ngapo talked about how we will know we have been successful. She said “I was born and raised here on a Waiheke. As I child in the 1960s, I ate kai moana every single day. We caught sprats and piper, snapper, hapuka and dogfish from Ostend Wharf. We ate pipi and mussels and paua. It is not so long ago. When we see all these species again, we will know the mauri is restored.”

Having agreed on common ground, the participants are now more determined than ever to help restore Waiheke’s marine environment and are asking for the wider community to become involved.