Panepane Point on Matakana Island is the subject of an extraordinary meeting today. Photo / File
Panepane Point on Matakana Island is the subject of an extraordinary meeting today. Photo / File
KEY POINTS:
Panepane Pt, the southeastern tip of the island, borders the Tauranga Harbour channel
Its pristine beach is one of the district's last untouched pieces of land
Ownership was in the hands of the subsequently disestablished Tauranga Harbour Board after being acquired under the Public Works Act in 1923
Panepane Point in the Bay of Plenty will be returned to Māori following a unanimous council decision today.
More than 300 people gathered at Baypark for today's Western Bay of Plenty District Council public meeting to decide whether to return Matakana Island's Panepane Pt, also known as Purakau, to local hapu.
After speeches from members of the public and elected members - some of whom had tears in their eyes - the council voted to return the land.
The decision was unanimous. All elected members except Christina Humphreys were present.
The meeting began with public presentations for and against the proposal.
Rob Paterson spoke against it, saying the council had not acted legally by not tracking down the original land owners or their descendants to offer the land to them first.
More than 300 people have gathered at the Western Bay of Plenty District Council for the meeting. Photo / Kiri Gillespie
He also suggested the council was "pitting Māori people against Māori people" and referenced a photograph of Panepane Point taken in the early 1900s that showed scrubland that said did not appear to have much cultural significance then.
His comments prompted concerned murmurs and upset from the crowd, prompting mayor Garry Webber to ask them to let Paterson speak.
Webber repeated that request after more disquiet over Paterson's pronunciation of Panepane Point and Māori.
Jason Pou addressed the meeting after Paterson and said, in his opinion, Paterson's comments were disappointing and offensive.
"It's disappointing to come here and hear somebody try to highlight animosity among Māori groups and in an effort to lay blame at the council, to suggest an application can't be granted,'' he said, expressing his view.
Pou said, expressing his opinion: "It's rather offensive to hear someone come up just before me to say the council is trying to put a wedge between the people and pit them against each other."
He said, in his view, Paterson "misrepresented" the Public Works Act in comments where he said the council had not acted legally. Pou referenced sub-sections of section 41 of the Act that enabled the Māori Land Court to act on the matter, making the council's actions legal.
"To hear a pakeha gentleman get up and suggest he knows what Māori are thinking when Māori are here, saying what they are thinking and what they want, quite frankly, it doesn't get much worse than that," Pou told the meeting, expressing his opinion.
Matakana Island's Hauata Palmer was the last of the speakers with his korero completed with a waiata from the podium, resulting in most of the room standing and joining in, including a class of school children.
The process up to now
Panepane Pt, the southeastern tip of the island, borders the Tauranga Harbour channel and has been owned by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council since 1989. Its pristine beach is one of the district's last untouched pieces of land.
Previously, ownership was in the hands of the subsequently disestablished Tauranga Harbour Board after being acquired under the Public Works Act in 1923.
The meeting follows weeks of consultation, which resulted in a record number of submissions.
Last month, the council revealed a total of 7381 pieces of feedback were received. Of the submissions, 7121 were for the proposal and 260 opposed. The response is a record for the council.
Submissions included feedback from tangata whenua, those who previously publicly opposed the move, national organisations such as Forest and Bird, and people from out of town who visit the Bay of Plenty on holiday.
Of the submissions, 544 came from overseas.
A map of Panepane Point. Image / Supplied
The council's final decision is being made at today's extraordinary meeting at Trustpower Baypark.
Due to the significance of the deliberation, and potential Covid-19 risk, the meeting will be livestreamed - a tool the council does not use for any other meetings.
On July 28, the council voted to consult on the proposed return of the land in a meeting that drew one of the largest crowds the council chambers at Barkes Corner had seen, as island residents and iwi gathered for the occasion.
If the proposal is accepted, the council will return ownership of the 165ha of Panepane Purakau to a trust representing the five hapū of Ngai Tuwhiwhia, Ngati Tauaiti, Te Ngare, Te Whanau a Tauwhao and Ngai Tamawhariua.
Public access to the foreshore would be protected in perpetuity through a 7ha public reserve and through a 20m esplanade strip around the coast.
This would secure public access for fishing off the wharf, walking the beach and using the recreational areas close to Panepane Purakau, such as water-skiing lanes.
How we got to this point:
• Panepane Pt was among land confiscated following the 1864 battles of Gate Pa and Te Ranga. The land was transferred back to Maori owners in 1877, then acquired by the Government in 1923 under the Public Works Act. • The land's return now is not directly connected to the confiscation. The council and hapū have been working to return the land since 2013, resulting in yesterday's decision. • The land spans about 178ha of the island and is spread across two legal titles known as Panepane and Purakau. It is used for forestry purposes but also hosts Port of Tauranga navigational aids. It is also the most visible part of Matakana Island from Mount Maunganui and Tauranga city. • At a Tauranga Moana and Te Arawa ki Takutai Partnership Forum on February 10, 2020, representatives from the island's five hapū reiterated their long-held desire to have the land returned to them. - The proposed transfer agreement would see a 7ha reserve created to ensure public access to the foreshore is protected in perpetuity. Source: Western Bay of Plenty District Council
