Matapihi plan in danger of collapse

An agreement on the future development of Matapihi looks in danger of unravelling after the peninsula's two Maori hapu (sub-tribes) challenged a last-minute change of wording by the Tauranga City Council.
The original agreement included a statement that Matapihi's water supply did not meet a historical agreement by the former Mount Maunganui Borough Council to the people of Matapihi for the peninsula to be fully reticulated.
But city councillor Wayne Moultrie, the last mayor of Mount Maunganui, caused an uproar among Matapihi Maori leaders by claiming the statement was factually incorrect because no agreement was ever reached.
The council last week agreed to alter "historical agreement" to "historical expectation", so the statement now said that the water supply did not meet the historical expectation of the people for the peninsula to be fully reticulated.
The denial that an agreement existed has sparked the demand for an apology and the restoration of the original text.
Ngai Tukairangi hapu chairman Neil Te Kani said he was extremely disappointed with the council's stance that no agreement had been reached.
"I want the council to understand that what it has done has deeply hurt both hapu."
A letter of complaint was due to be mailed to council yesterday signed by Mr Te Kani and the chairman of Ngati Tapu hapu, Puhirake Ihaka.
Mr Te Kani said Matapihi leaders who had since passed away took part in discussions with the Mount Maunganui Borough Council.
Discussions had always reflected the commitment council made to the people of Matapihi around an agreement to reticulate the peninsula, he said.
The hapu were now thinking seriously about whether to continue with the Matapihi Landuse Plan.
The council last week thought it was signing off an agreement on the future development of Matapihi, including upgrading the peninsula's inadequate water supply.
The land use plan seeks to protect the peninsula's rural character while at the same time allowing more houses to be built _ largely in the marae community zones and in three new papakainga housing clusters.
Mr Te Kani said the reticulation agreement had always been at the centre of discussions about Matapihi's water supply and he regretted that the issue had degenerated to a "he said, she said" scenario.
He said the two hapu were sure their people requested and received an agreement from the borough for water reticulation.
Council's decision last week was based on Cr Moultrie's recollections and his conversations with former borough staff and councillors; Cr David Stewart's conversations with the late Jim Davies; and Mayor Stuart Crosby's recollection that it had been an expectation rather than an agreement.