MEDIA
RELEASE

29 July 09

Hauraki Maori Trust Board

Website:   www.hauraki.iwi.nz

Hauraki Welcome Infrastructure Investment

The Hauraki Maori Trust Board is pleased to join the Prime Minister and community leaders to mark the start of the construction of the new Kopu bridge located at the confluence of the Waihou river and Tikapa Moana.

CE of the Board, Josie Anderson said "We congratulate the government for dealing with this longstanding infrastructure need. The new bridge, coupled with the recently announced cycleway in this locality, will provide a real boost to local and regional economy of which Hauraki are an integral part "

Chair of the Board, Toko Renata Te Taniwha also hoped that closer attention to the serious environmental issues affecting the Waihou river would arise with the infrastructure investment focus in the area.

He said "The Waihou river and Tikapa Moana are taonga of great significance to the Hauraki tribes and their wellbeing is paramount to us.
  Hauraki kaumatua and kuia remember a time when the shores of the river were sandy and its waters clean and abundant with life.
  Now the river is severely polluted with the daily equivalent of 57 truckloads of urea entering the Firth from the river. 
 The government, councils, industry and the community alongside Hauraki tribes need to take ownership of the problem which in turn will
  maximise the economic opportunities that the new bridge and cycleway bring”.

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