Transpower is acknowledging historical failures in how New Zealand's national grid was built across Māori land, as the company prepares for significant infrastructure upgrades around Lake Taupō.
The grid operator says its predecessors built the transmission network without proper understanding of connections to whenua, whakapapa, whānau, and taiao, leading to mistakes that continue to impact relationships with Māori communities today.
These historical issues are particularly relevant as Transpower works to upgrade core transmission lines through the Central North Island, requiring extensive consultation with iwi and hapū, and numerous Māori land trusts on the western side of Lake Taupō.
"We can only show through sincerity and openness today and tomorrow that we can be trusted," Transpower stated in its Waitangi Day message. "Our ambition is, like that of the rest of the country, to have a mutually respectful and beneficial relationship between ourselves and mana whenua."
As part of efforts to improve relationships, the company recently held a noho marae (traditional overnight stay) at Tokaanu Marae, where staff members learned about iwi engagement directly from those impacted by the power industry's activities. These marae stays are an important part of Māori cultural practice, allowing for in-depth learning and relationship building.
The company says understanding this history is crucial for building better relationships as they work on grid upgrades needed for future generations.
