Environmental Planner

with Te Ara Taiao (Māori and the Environment) 

Te Riria Potiki plans to use her Bachelor of Environmental Planning degree to help iwi mitigate negative impacts on the environment as a result of increased development.

“I was always interested in science, but once I found geography later in high school I knew I had found something I was passionate about. It aligns so well with my future goal of working to preserve environmental sustainability.”

 

Originally from Tūrangi, Te Riria hopes to use the skills she gains in environmental planning to help her iwi and hapū protect and sustain their surrounding environment from the ongoing impacts of urban development.

As part of her study, Te Riria did an internship with a Māori consulting firm. “One of the projects we worked on was helping mitigate the environmental impacts of a proposal to discharge wastewater into the Rotorua Lakes,” says Te Riria.

“It was really eye-opening and awesome to be a part of the process and see how it works, and because development is only going to continue, it’s really important to work as best as we can to mitigate any potential effect that might have on our environment.”

Click here to learn more about Te Riria Potiki on the University of Waikato website.