Te Rere o Ōmanawa – Ōmanawa Falls is a $9 million project which has featured a unique level of co-design and collaboration between the project partners.
The physical aspects of the project provide a track through the Puwhenua forest, with viewing platforms that look out over a stunning waterfall and the Falls’ deep basin. The project also includes a large carpark, public toilets and a planned visitor centre. The cultural presence at the site is strong, with pā tūwatawata (palisade) fencing, a five-metre high pouwhenua at the entrance, a tomokanga, poupou and informative signage.
Tauranga City Council (TCC), in collaboration with hapū Ngāti Hangarau and Tourism Bay of Plenty (TBoP), sought to deliver a project that adhered to tikanga, supported the ongoing practice of kaitiakitanga and enabled ahi kā. The commitment to co-management is ongoing and is being implemented in a variety of innovative ways.
