The Big Clean-up Project is a community effort to clean up rubbish and keep Rotorua beautiful. Everyone is being encouraged to help out, and people all over the city are getting involved.
Pao-ora Wineera, it’s simple, the aim is to always preserve their kāinga for their uri.
“Nā te mea, mēna ka mahi mātou i tēnei ināianei, ka taea tō mātou tamariki ki te tākaro haere, me ka mahi atu i ngā wai, ka taea te kai i ngā ika kei roto i ngā wai.”
Pao-ora was joined by his cousin Wairiki to pick up rubbish. He recalls a time when he was younger when the responsibility to care for the taiao was instilled in him.
“I te kohikohi rāpihi mātou mā ngā awa, nā te mea i te wā i pakupaku au i haere māua ki te hī ika, i te wā i haere atu mātou ki te hī, i kohikohi atu mātou i ngā rāpihi.”
Resident Robyn Beers-Bekedam joined the efforts. She is encouraging more people in her community to chip in and do their part.
“I just wish everybody did their bit, people complain about flooding and stuff like that, but then they’re blocking up all the gutters with rubbish, so come on people.”
Ko ngā uri te take
E ai ki te kaiwhakahaere o te kaupapa, ki a Neville Raethel, he kaupapa tēnei e titi kaha ana ki tōna ngākau.
He kaha nōnā ki te hī īka me tōna whānau, engari i te wā ka kite ia i ngā para i ngā kōawa, ka auē!, ka riri.
“We need to stop that rubbish from our land going into our lakes then down our awa and into our moana, it’s just been getting worse over the last few years.”
Ko te kauhoe me ana tamariki, ko te inu i ngā wai o te rohe tāna e wawatahia nei, ā, hei tāna, mā te kohikohi para me te tiaki i ngā awa me ngā putanga wai tērā wawata e whakatinana.
