Iwi resolute in protecting waterways

Ngati Kahungunu chief executive Adele Whyte said it was an honour for the iwi to submit evidence to the National Fresh Water and Geothermal Resources Inquiry. PHOTO/FILE

By working together, Ngati Kahungunu and other iwi hope to send a strong message about the state of Hawke's Bay's waterways.

Today Ngati Kahungunu will be presenting evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal at Waiwhetu Marae in Wellington, as part of stage two of the National Freshwater and Geothermal Resource Inquiry.

Hearings for the first stage of the inquiry were held in July 2012.

Ngati Kahungunu chief executive Adele Whyte said it was an honour to submit evidence on the first day for stage two - more than 800 pages worth - alongside the testimony and evidence from other Ngati Kahungunu whanau and Taiao (environmental) advocates.

"We're just all resolute that our waterways are really important, and that we want to protect them and we want to be seen to be doing all that we can," she said. "Giving evidence is another way for us to show how serious we are of protecting our waterways."

Alongside many other tribes, they would seek to hold the Crown accountable for the poor state of awa (streams), and the degradation of nga wai (freshwater) including the "outstanding and once pristine" muriwaihou (aquifer, groundwater).

They would also challenge the lack of meaningful outcomes and participation in resource decision-making for tangata whenua, and the lack of recognition of iwi and hapu rights and interests.

Ultimately, Dr Whyte said, they were hoping for stronger direction from the tribunal in the way that the Crown should address Maori rights and interests.

The iwi were already working locally to protect the region's waterways - such as their involvement with the TANK plan change, and their treaty claimant group.

"There's multiple avenues where iwi rights and interests can be recognised, and provided for, and implemented [as] the next step," she said.

The iwi wanted to reverse the trend of the declining quality of the region's water which they had seen echoed across the country.

"We do need to see some direction around the importance of the environment," she said, "economic development is important too but not at the detriment of the environment."

Over the past couple of years there had been a strong move to work collaboratively, Dr Whyte said.

This was another opportunity to work together, "collaborating all the different hapu that makes it very clear to the council what our expectations are around our waterways".

"People are seeing that collaborating and working together will have a stronger voice that will hopefully be heard."