March 2, 2011

Cambridge Town Hall was beyond its capacity last week as over six hundred people filled every available corner and spilled outside while speakers gave details about the recent coup d’état where control of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust (MEIT) had been demanded by local Maori group Ngati Koroki Kahukura.

The messages from speakers and audience came through clearly that the present new structure had been put in place through bullying by Ngati Koroki Kahukura and weakness and connivance by local authorities Waipa District council and Environment Waikato.

The audience was also left in no doubt that, contrary to statements by the present puppet MEIT board that funders were sticking with the Trust and that volunteers were happy with the new arrangements, funders are withdrawing and volunteers are very unhappy.

Speaker Gareth Morgan said he was not prepared to put more money into the Trust until the governance structure was returned to the three-way community/iwi/landowner structure. He also put an offer on the table to put a million dollars into the building of a tree top walkway that would create sustainable revenue from tourism to run the operational costs of the Trust, but only if the present iwi-dominated Trust structure was thrown out.

A spokesperson from the Gallagher Group, which has put hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project, said the chequebook was now closed until the present governance structure was overturned.

Founder of the project David Wallace also countered recent statements by present new Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust members who had said the Trust was originally set up just between landowners and iwi.

“I was there from day one where we went through extensive consultation with the community, landowners and iwi and set up a structure that had community participation as a key plank of the success of the project.”

The meeting overwhelmingly passed three resolutions.

The first demanded of the Prime Minister and Cabinet members to have the Trust return to the three-way partnership at all levels between community, iwi and landowners. It also required that, if there are two boards, then the second ‘Operational Board’ be selected on merit rather than have three of the six placed on the board by iwi as of right. The audience also required the rejection of the concept of co-chairs with one from iwi and one from others.

The second resolution sought backing from the Cabinet to put in place processes to move the Statutory Authority over the 2500 hectare Maungatautari Reserve inside the pest proof fence, into the hands of a reformed MEIT trust board and there be a partnership established between MEIT and central government.

The third resolution reflected the concern in the community that a Treaty settlement involving the Maungatautari Reserve would destroy the project. The resolution demanded of Cabinet that this deal is suspended and the community receives full information about what the proposed deal involves. No details of the proposed Treaty settlement have been made public.

Funder Gareth Morgan said the involvement and actions of Waipa District Council and Environment Waikato had been “scurrilous” and the community no longer trusted their input.

“It would be more productive for the project if they were out of the picture altogether.”

Coordinator of the Save Maungatautari Community and Funder organisation, Jack Jenkins, has called those interested in being part of the community spearhead to lead ongoing activities and further action meetings.

ENDS

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