Wally Lee: A river that is crying out for help

Te Arawa man Wally Lee has been campaigning for the clean up of the Puarenga
River.
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It all started in 1986, while on Christmas holidays in Whakarewarewa with my grandparents and my cousin, who was my best friend.
During that summer, my cousin and I dived for coins in the Puarenga, the weather was hot, the sulphur strong and we played in what is our back yard. I still hold the old pennies found from that time. I was happy, I was home.
Unfortunately, I did get sick with flu-like symptoms after three days in the Puarenga River in the middle of summer. At that time my father admonished me from Australia for swimming in the Puarenga. He said: "Stay out of that river, it's polluted." I have never touched its waters since. A seed was planted.
In November 1994, I returned to Rotorua permanently to learn about my Maori culture at the feet of my grandfather, Kuru Waaka. For 2 years, I hung off his every word, until his passing in 1997. One of our last conversations was about the polluted state of the Puarenga, when I asked him: "Why hasn't anyone done anything about the river?" His reply: "What are you going to do about it? I'm too old now." Fresh water was added to that seed.
Life, work, family and time move on but never did I forget the challenge left for me. For every time I crossed into Whakarewarewa, I was greeted with memories that can never be erased and I view a river crying out for help. My own sense of kaitiakitanga and all that it entails was growing stronger and stronger.
Since becoming a trustee for the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority in 2007, I have embarked upon understanding the scientific research associated with water quality and recorded evidence of what occurs in the Puarenga catchment during periods of high rainfall. I became more and more alarmed at what I was witnessing and I raised those concerns to others.
I set about calling for independent monitoring and testing of the Puarenga, in order to ascertain exactly what is flowing/leaching off the land and into the water system. Unfortunately, some people did not want to listen and set about trying to stop me. I felt I was left with no other option but to go public, in order for various agencies to take the situation seriously. I was, and am, seeking clarity of information with regular and targeted monitoring in order to inform the people and know, without a doubt, that the Puarenga River is safe to swim all year round.
The district and regional councils have received my submissions and I have gone public, not to target one particular company, but to highlight the plight of the entire Puarenga catchment and to effect a positive change for all of Rotorua, including our lake, that is also suffering.
For it would be much easier to pretend we have no problem, out of sight, out of mind and to bury my head in the sand. But 25 years have passed since I last swam in the Puarenga River and the question I pose now to Rotorua is: "Where will we be in 25 years' time from this point?"