Throughout this project, WSP and Waka Kotahi have prioritised building a robust partnership with Mana Whenua to shape the design of the wetlands and stormwater infrastructure. WSP led the consultation with Mana Whenua, focusing on stormwater and hydrological aspects, to gain insights into Māori key focus areas and the cultural significance of the environmental context in terms of stormwater and hydrology.
The solution included Mana Whenua water narratives being woven into the design to adapt the behaviour of the stormwater flow and disposal methods.
WSP fostered a ‘one-team’ collaborative culture by integrating Waka Kotahi into the project team from the very start. The focus on transparent communication encouraged the team to share issues and solutions as often as possible, which also allowed experts and clients to leverage each other’s experiences to solve problems faster.
Our team engaged with stakeholders from multiple disciplines: landscape designers, archaeologists, water specialists, and ecologists. This collaboration resulted in the stormwater design sitting alongside ecology, archaeology, and landscaping reports and concepts in the resource consent application.