Experience helps village prepare a strategy to combat climate change.
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
He Toka Tū Moana ki Maketū
Kua whakawhiwhia e te ohu matua o Maketū ki te kuranui e ki a nei ko te New Zealand Planning Institue’s (NZIP) Best Practice.
He toka tū moana mōMaketū te whare i whakaarangia e te hau kāinga e noho haumaru ai ngā rawa katoa o tō rātau whenua e ora ake tonu ai hair awa nui mō whakatupuranga. He kaupapa o kaha kōkiringia e te iwi o Maketū hai kaupapa mā te hāpori.
Nō te Tihema ko pahemo whakarewa ai tēnei waka whakahirahira.Ko Petera Tapihana te tiamana mō te marae o Whakaue. Hai tana ko te huringa hētanga o te aoo e kitea nei e tātau he mana nui e whati ai te whakapapa o tātau te tangata.
“Kai te kitea e tātau ngā whakahuringa o te ao ki tō mātau takiwā, e horo ana ngā pari teitei, wheoi anō ko tā mātau he whakakaha i a mātau rautaki tiaki whenua, tiaki tangata”. E ai hoki ki a Petera, “Kua whakaritea e tātau tēnei rautaki hai tiaki i ngā uri me ngā mokopuna, otia, hai waka awhina hoki i ngā tētēkura ka tū ā ngā rautau ki mua’.
The Maketu community’s plan of action against climate change has won the New Zealand Planning Institute’s (NZPI) Best Practice Award in non-statutory planning.
Nō te mea kai takutai te kāinga o Maketū kua tino wepua te nohanga tawhito e te hau me nga1 ngaru tuatea o te moana. Nō te tau e rua mano, kotahi tekau mā iwa ka horo tētehi o ngā pari. Nā tēnei horonga ka puta mai ngā kōiwi o ngā tupuna, ka taka iho ki te pūtake o Ōkurei ki te oneone takoto ai.
Hai tā te rangatira o tēnei kaupapa ko Roana Bennett, he hōnore nui tēnei kua whakanuia tēnei rautaki, tēnei kaupapa e NZPI, wheoi anō kāore i ārikarika aku mihi ki ngā rangatira o te kāinga i whakapau kaha ki te whakarewa i tēnei whakaaro nui hai oranga mō tātau ngā kuranui o te pā taunaha ki Maketū.’
E huri ana tea o, e huri ana te wā, ko te mea nui ko te arahi paitia i te iwi me ngā whānaunga i te ara tātaramoa e whakapōrearea nei i a tātau katoa, kia puta mārama ai tātau i te korokoro o te Parata. Ko te tūnga nui ki a mātau nō reira e tika ana kia tiakina te whenua me ngā rangatira o te rohe nei e mātau’.
“He rautaki aroha, he rautaki whakakotahi i te hāpori e toka tū moana ai mātau he ahakoa te teitei o te ngaru, he ahakoa te hohonu o tew ai. Nō mātau te whiwhi nui kua whakaaengia tēnei hai rautaki awhina i te hāpori”.
— Na Raimona Inia i whakamaori
English Translation
An iwi and community-led climate strategy designed to ensure the seaside village of Maketū remains steadfast in the face of climate change has won the New Zealand Planning Institute’s (NZPI) Best Practice Award in non-statutory planning.
He Toka Tū Moana Mō Maketū (Maketū Climate Change Adaptation Plan) is deliberately concise and straightforward, with the aim of safeguarding the future of Maketū's people, places and natural environment.
Its development was led by the Maketū Iwi Collective on behalf of the whole community, and released in December.
Petera Tapsell, the chairman of Whakaue Marae Trustees, says climate change has the genuine potential to disrupt whakapapa.
“Our rohe is already seeing the impacts of climate change firsthand with coastal erosion and inundation. We have to do everything possible to mitigate any further damage,” Tapsell said.
“We have developed this plan to support future generations, and so our future leaders can reference it as they continue the mahi as kaitiaki of Maketu.”
Because of Maketū's geographical position, the area has seen more frequent coastal flooding, including near Whakaue Marae, following subtropical storms.
In 2019, large swells caused a landslide, causing koiwi (human remains) to tumble from the clifftop urupā at Ōkurei to the beach below.
The plan’s kaiwhakahaere (project co-ordinator), Roana Bennett, says it is a huge honour for the plan to be recognised by a professional body, such as NZPI, and it is a credit to everyone who has been involved.
“In this time of great change we need to guide our people through these seismic pressures to ensure the survival of future generations.
“As tāngata whenua, we have an obligation to care for everyone within our rohe, which is why we are helping drive this kaupapa,” Bennett said.
Hilltop homes overlook Maketu estuary.
“This is a values-driven plan that ensures decision-making remains within our community.
“We’re so honoured to share what our village is capable of.”
■Maketu is of huge importance to me and not only because I whakapapa to Te Arawa.
It was where I spent most of my school holidays, staying at the farm with my kuia and koro, Miria and Henare Riri Potaka, or at the bach which was almost directly opposite Whakaue marae.
Maketu and Little Waihi were also where we Whaka people picked those delectable pipi, tuangi and kuku.
