Tauranga Iwi Demand Urgent Inquiry

28 October 2011

Tauranga Moana Iwi are seething a second ship grounding has occurred in their ancestral waters within the space of a month.

Today’s grounding occurred near Tirikawa (North Rock) which is among the most highly regarded sites of cultural significance for all Tauranga Iwi and we are absolutely livid that it has occurred.

Tauranga Iwi believe this latest incident is further evidence of why a moratorium should be immediately adopted and harbour development halted.

It stands to reason that if shipping and port authorities cannot manage their current workload in a manner that is consistent with best practice guidelines what makes them think they can manage higher volume and bigger ships entering our harbour.

We are now appealing to Ministers to urgently revisit the Tauranga Harbour dredging proposal because it is clear that local, regional and harbour authorities are either ill equipped or have been negligent in identifying risks associated with the plan.

Our opposition to the proposal is and has always been around protection for our local environment so that the sea can be enjoyed by everyone. We cannot market our country as a clean green tourist destination while we pay scant regard to those values in practical way.

This is now a key election issue for our people and we believe for the wider Tauranga public as well. The only thing keeping people off the beaches this summer will be oil and not Iwi.

Today’s grounding occurred with a vessel fully laden with fuel and that quite simply is not good enough. What is even more disturbing is that there was a harbour pilot on board when the incident occurred.

The latest incident has deepened our collective resolve to oppose the harbour dredging proposal.

ENDS

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