Partnering with mana whenua
The project team formed a partnership with mana whenua to develop a set of project-specific design principles and a Kaitiaki Strategy which embed mātauranga māori at all levels to guide design outcomes. The coastline between Ngā Ūranga and Pito-one is home to many sites of significance to mana whenua. Ngā Ūranga was the pā site of Te Wharepouri, while Pito-one was home to the pā of Honiana Te Puni. Both sites are significant to Taranaki Whanui along with the bays and headlands between them.
An integrated approach to the the design means that te ao māori is embedded into the ‘bones’ of the project, for example the way that the new land has been shaped as well as the cultural expression of features on the land. Design concepts for project features including the bridge, the ūranga, path surface markings, signage and sculptures have been developed together with Taranaki Whānui to reflect the history of the land and people.