A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Responding for the Department of Conservation, deputy director of general regional operations Henry Weston said the Te Urewera Act 2014 meant the Conservation Act 1987 no longer applied to Te Urewera, which, given legal person status with its care, transferred to Te Urewera Board (TUB).
“In general terms the Actmeans TUB makes decisions about what needs to be done to achieve the purposes of the Act, which are to ‘...to strengthen and maintain the connection between Tūhoe and Te Urewera; preserve as far as possible the natural features and beauty of Te Urewera, the integrity of its indigenous ecological systems and biodiversity, and its historical and cultural heritage, and provide for Te Urewera as a place for public use and enjoyment, for recreation, learning, and spiritual reflection, and as an inspiration for all’,” Mr Weston said.
“There are provisos within the Act but the extent to which the board and associated parties, including DoC, have met these requirements in relation to the hut removal programme is before the courts.
“We are limited in the comments we can make at this time,” Mr Weston said.
He confirmed director-general Penny Nelson had heard from TUB about its vision for a different visitor experience and on aspects of how the vision would be implemented.
With respect to funding of the board’s operational arm Te Uru Taumatua (TUT), he confirmed it was not funded for specified outputs. TUT accounted for its activities to the board, not to DoC.
In biodiversity matters since settlement, DoC had only played a supporting role to TUT.
The department did not hold any data about pest or threatened species within Te Urewera since that time.
“While our staff may hold a variety of private views about the management of Te Urewera, they will continue to act professionally and understand the decisions being made for Te Urewera are being made by TUB as the legislation intended in 2014.”
