Pūniu River Care Inc. (PRC) is an established, marae-based river care group, an incorporated society, and a registered New Zealand charity. Founded in 2015 by Shannon Te Huia (Ngāti Paretekawa, Ngāti Maniapoto), PRC was built on strong foundations with the support of the four marae along the Pūniu Awa: Mangatoatoa Pā, Rāwhitiroa / Ōwairaka Marae, Aotearoa Marae, and Whakamaramara Marae.

The society was formed by Shannon Te Huia (Spatial Engineer, Maniapoto Māori Trust Board) under the mentorship of Harrold Maniapoto, John Roa (Kaumātua), James Bailey (Board Member, Sustainable Coastlines New Zealand), and Sam Judd (Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Coastlines New Zealand). In July 2015, a hui was held with key stakeholders to help shape the vision and strategy for the Pūniu River catchment, attended by around 40 representatives from a range of organisations.
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Over the years, PRC has grown into a respected and reputable organisation within the environmental sector. PRC has developed professional skills and processes, establishing itself as a large-scale native plant nursery supplying the wider Waikato region. With the capacity to grow over 700,000 high-quality NZ Native Species each year. To date, we’ve planted more than 1.4 million native trees and fenced over 70km of waterways across the Waipā, King Country and wider Waikato.

‍At the heart of PRC is our kaupapa — enabling the local community to actively participate in the restoration and enhancement of the Pūniu River catchment, while also creating meaningful employment and work experience opportunities. PRC is committed to empowering our staff to engage with the tikanga and kawa of each marae connected to the Pūniu River, ensuring these cultural practices are upheld and embedded within our people.

And we’re not alone. PRC are aligned with a network of groups, including Native Plant Propagators, Cultural Advisors, and Environmental Scientists. We strive for a harmonious and sustainable future for Aotearoa's natural resources and communities. Together, we recognise that our collective efforts are essential in shaping an environmentally resilient Aotearoa.

The Pūniu River flows from within the Pureora Forest, past four Marae: Mangatoatoa, Rāwhitiroa, Aotearoa and Whakamārama through to Pirongia where it flows into the Waipā River, and then on to the Waikato River. At 83kms long, this makes the Pūniu River one of the longest secondary tributaries in Aotearoa.

The Pūniu river holds a cultural significance to local marae, hapū and iwi. The river gets its name from the Patupaiarehe (Māori mythical being of human form) that travelled down the river from the Pureora Forest seeking knowledge of the future by supernatural means.

‍Pūniu River was once a rich source of freshwater kai and provided many picnic and swimming spots for the local people. Currently the river is not classified as being of a swimmable standard. The tuna stocks have depleted in some areas, the banks of the rivers are eroding and over 10,000 tonnes of sediment discharges into the Waipā river from the Pūniu River every year.