Astrolabe harm claims 'inconsistent'

Piatarihi Bennett of Kaupapa Taiao o Ngati Makino spoke in support of leaving the wreck of the Rena on the reef. Photo / John Borren

It is "inconsistent" to claim the mauri (life force) of Astrolabe Reef/Otaiti is harmed by the Rena when iwi have accepted intentional sinkings near significant sites, says a Te Arawa witness.

Piatarihi Bennett of Kaupapa Taiao o Ngati Makino dived the reef last Wednesday. She emphasised it was the reef, not the wreck, she dived for as Ngati Makino's focus was on the state of its taonga.

"I went on the dive with the intent to critically assess for myself how the mauri of the reef was coping."

Ms Bennett said her first thought on getting underwater was disappointment. "In all of the time that we had been working on these take [concerns] about Otaiti, it seems that we had lost sight of the ability of Tangaroa [god of the sea] to repair and recover naturally."

This had made her question the evidence of those who said mauri could not exist where a ship was.

She raised the intentional sinking of the Seafire in 2008 off the shore of Whakatane with the acceptance of local iwi Ngati Awa. Ms Bennett also spoke of the mutually respectful relationship the tribe had built with Rena's owners, resulting in the hapu having its concerns heard.

At a meeting between the hapu and owner's representative Konstantinos Zacharatos, Ms Bennett said the apology he had delivered was the first time in her life an individual representing significant impact had met with iwi of his own volition to apologise.

Jason Pou, counsel for Te Arawa, said it was clear why Te Arawa had picked the path they did. "They are here for the taonga, not here to lay blame."