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Wednesday, August 23, 2017

New Zealand: Māori Want Input on Use of Bay of Plenty Geothermal Resources

Calls for prominent Te Arawa voice in geothermal economic conversation (Māori Television)

Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman Te Taru White is calling for Te Arawa to be at the centre of Rotorua's geothermal energy conversation following National's $150,000 announcement to explore geothermal opportunities in the Bay of Plenty.

For generations, Te Arawa has embraced Rotorua's geothermal landscape and harnessed its energy.

Te Tatau o Te Arawa chairman Te Taru White says, "Te Arawa has always had an unbroken relationship with the geothermal sources. A lot of the ngāwha used for bathing, cooking, all those sort of things, have been unbroken."

However, only 5% of Rotorua's geothermal capacity is being applied to geothermal resources. A number that the Te Tatau o Te Arawa chair Te Taru White says needs to be explored.