Call for Minister to support conservation order
Immediate Release
24
February 2017
Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust call on Environment Minister to support conservation order to protect national water taonga
Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust in Nelson
have applied for a ‘water conservation order’ under the
Resource Management Act 1991 to protect the mauri and wairua
of the aquifer that supplies Te Waikoropupu.
Iwi have
applied to the Environment Minister in partnership with
community members. The Minister's private secretary has been
in contact. It’s a legal first and if successful will
create a precedent.
The aim of seeking the order is to
protect both the water supply and the aquifer of the largest
freshwater springs in the country – a wahi tapu (sacred
place) and “national taonga (treasure) of importance to
all New Zealanders” according to official documents
advocating political support.
Ngāti Tama in its capacity
as kaitiaki (guardian) takes its responsibility to safeguard
very seriously and says it’s a leadership decision that
it’s been upholding for over thirty years.
The
commercial development of Te
Waikoropupū Springs in Golden Bay and the management of
water that feeds it has been a publicly debated issue in the
area since 1984 when Ngāti Tama first stood up in a public
meeting to protect it.
It is one of several resource management issues Ngāti Tama are facing in the rohe (area) while the Tasman District Council reviews the Tasman Resource Management Plan (TRMP) for release later this year.
Through its participation in community consultation
around water resource management planning, Ngāti
Tama has identified areas for improvement
that better serve its kaupapa (purpose).
“We want
cultural, ecological and spiritual values to be given
significant weight in all plan and consent decision making.
This aligns with the weight that should be given to these
matters in Part II of the Resource
Management Act 1991 (RMA), particularly section 6 (e) as
a matter of ‘national importance’. The granting of a
Water Conservation Order recognising the outstanding
significance of Te Waikoropupū Springs in accordance with
tikanga Māori provides appropriate recognition of the
importance of these values” says Mr John Ward-Holmes,
Kaumatua of Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust.
Ngāti
Tama also says that there are plenty of
successful working examples in other parts of New Zealand
where this has been implemented for the benefit of the
community. Its intention is to achieve a balanced outcome so
iwi evolve the current process so kaitiakitanga
(guardianship) responsibilities are honoured.
“Te
Waikoropupū Springs is a very sacred place with the
clearest water in the country if not this part of the world.
Experts have advised us about the ecological risk if we
don’t step in now so we would appreciate the Minister’s
help.”
Aside from pursuing the water conservation
order, Ngāti Tama are seeking a judicial review of consent
decisions approved by Tasman District Council without public
consultation on a non-notified basis. That matter will be
heard on 13 March in the Nelson High
Court.
ENDS
Background
Ngāti Tama
ki Te Waipounamu Trust was formed in 2013 to represent the
Uri o Ngāti Tama who whakapapa to Te Tau Ihu o Te
Waka-ā-Maui (Top of the South Island).
Web: http://www.ngati-tama.iwi.nz
\
Links:
Ngāti Tama Ki Te Pounamu
media area: http://www.ngati-tama.iwi.nz/media/media.htm
Historical media coverage on settlement: http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/8580144/Ngati-Tama-settlement-signed
The Resource Management Act 1991
Section 6 (e)
“the relationship of Maori and their culture and
traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi
tapu, and other
taonga:”