Ngāti Tūrangitukua Māori Committee Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust
Press Release from Ngāti Tūrangitukua Māori Committee and the Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust
Monday 5th of July 2021
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e rau rangatira mā, nei rā te reo karanga o te māreikura ā Pīhanga e mihi nei ki te hunga kua riro atu ki te pō, koutou kua wheturangitia, haere, haere, hoki atu. E kore e warewaretia ngā mahi whakahirahira kua oti nei i a koutou. Koutou ki a koutou, tātou te hunga ora ki a tātou, Tihēi Mauri Ora.
The Ngāti Tūrangitukua Māori Committee and the Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust welcome the announcement of potential changes occurring as a part of the Taupō District Council representation review.
Ngāti Tūrangitukua is a hapū of Ngāti Tūwharetoa whose rohe extends over the current Tūrangi township and its surrounds. On 26 September 1998, the Crown signed a Deed of Settlement that covers claims made by Ngāti Tūrangitukua arising from the creation of the Tūrangi township, in the central North Island, in the 1960s and the development of the Tongariro power scheme. It aims to restore the Mana of Ngāti Tūrangitukua and the honour of the Crown by settling this historic, but incredibly relevant grievance.
Part of the settlement enabled a closer relationship between the hapū and the Taupō District Council. As a result, the Council and Ngāti Tūrangitukua have been working together over the last 18 months to develop a Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe agreement, a new legal arrangement that exists in the Resource Management Act to establish a mechanism to discuss, agree, and record ways in which Ngāti Tūrangitukua will participate in resource management and decision-making processes under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The agreement is also intended to include some matters that will sit outside of the RMA.
As a result of these discussions, the Council and the Hapū have agreed to explore co-governance opportunities regarding the Ngāti Tūrangitukua rohe. The council is now proposing to disestablish the Turangi-Tongariro Community Board from October 2022, with its role instead to be undertaken by two new council committees, including one to be equally co-governed between council and Ngāti Tūrangitukua.
Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust Chair, Lauren Fletcher noted, “We look forward to fully participating in the growth, and opportunities that shared decision making can bring to a town that we all love and have grown up in. As much as there has been pain in our past, we are excited to co-lead the new future together with tāngata tiriti who have chosen this beautiful place we now all call home”.
Legal, Risk and Governance Manager Nigel McAdie, of the council states, “We believe these proposed changes will ensure that the Tūrangi community has a strong voice at Council, and influence over local decisions on council services. It also aligns with our ongoing work to establish a Mana Whakahono relationship agreement with Ngāti Tūrangitukua in this area.”
Hine Mohi, chair of the Ngāti Tūrangitukua Māori Committee says, “Ngāti Tūrangitukua embrace this change and hope our whānau who live in our rohe will join us in seeing this evolution to a shared pathway, as one that reflects the community we are and will continue to be.”
“Tūrangitukua standing tall within the kawa and tikanga of Pihanga Consultation will open on 7 July and close at 4.30pm, 9 August 2021. For more information and to have your say head to taupo.govt.nz/consultation from 7 July.
ENDS
Any media requests should be directed to:
Tina Porou
Email: pukorero@turangitukua.co.nz