ANU MEDIA RELEASE
News from The Australian National University

MONDAY 4 JUNE 2007

Greater Scope For Maori Coastal Management: Researcher

New Zealand still has room for progress when it comes to facilitating the involvement of Maori communities in the management of their traditional coastal territories, a researcher from The Australian National University (ANU) argues.

PhD candidate Sarah Hemmingsen from the ANU College of Science is comparing how the legacies of colonialism have impacted on resource sovereignty for Maori and Indigenous Australian peoples – particularly in relation to coastal areas.

“Although you might think that the Treaty of Waitangi would place Maori in a better position than their Australian counterparts when it comes to exercising some control over things like coastal access and fishing rights, there’s a great deal of room for improvement in both countries,” Ms Hemmingsen said.

“For example, under the New Zealand Resource Management Act (1991) organisations are required to consult with Maori about issues and consents within their traditional territories, however, there has been no additional funding allocated for the consultation process to take place. As a result, many iwi are relying on volunteers from within their communities to deal with important environmental issues. Their limited resources mean they must pick and choose which issues to advocate, meaning that the capacity to deal with conflicts between iwi and other parties is not always there.”

Prior to coming to the ANU College of Science, Ms Hemmingsen studied at the University of Canterbury and worked closely with runanga within Ngai Tahu on environmental management issues in the Canterbury area. She said a lot of the current issues about Indigenous peoples and resource sovereignty relate back to colonial times.

“Coastal areas in all colonies were viewed as mare nullius, a homogeneous water column to be managed as public 'commons'. This idea poses many dilemmas for Indigenous peoples, who face insecurity in their aspirations to control their marine territories and resources using traditional management methods. They also come into conflict with the public's perception of its right to access coastal environments.”

Ms Hemmingsen said while some individual groups, such as Ngai Tahu runanga in Kaikoura, have been able to negotiate specific environmental management plans with local councils and agencies, the national situation leaves a great deal of room for improvement.

“We need to better understand how colonialism has impacted on environmental relationships in the past and how it continues to influence the ability of Maori communities to participate in coastal management today is an important part of redress.”

ENDS

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