Raewyn Bennett: Deal means first Maori marine centre

The wreck of the MV Rena which ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef, near Tauranga.

I am privileged to wake every morning to the view of the place that welcomed Te Arawa waka to Aotearoa many centuries ago. But I cannot help but think how much healthier this place would be if tangata whenua had more ability to be kaitiaki and protect the area.

The degradation of our tribe's coastal area began long before the 2011 disaster that saw the MV Rena crash on Otaiti (Astrolabe Reef), spill and pollute our waters and beaches.

It started in 1957 when the Kaituna River was diverted. That, pollution from lands, fresh waterways and over-fishing has changed life on the coast. I get angry when I think about our situation.

Raewyn Bennett

Te Arawa is not the only iwi affected by the Rena disaster, but it is the only iwi I can talk in detail about as I was part of their small team that dedicated four years to the clean-up of the oil, the beads, the monitoring, removing the rubbish on Otaiti, checking all research reports, questioning scientists, numerous meetings, submitting to the resource consent process and talking to the Rena company.

Te Arawa were recently branded "kupapa" and "sell-outs" for doing a deal with the Rena company. It is a narrative that sonars the ear of the media but it is fuelled by scaremongers - ill-informed or informed - but harbouring another motive. Well, sorry to break it to them but our team are all volunteers, the only payroll we are on is the aroha one. Sad to see some Te Arawa being apologetic to the ill-informed, my conscience is clear. Other groups and some iwi took a pay-out while we were still picking up oil.

We are particularly passionate about Otaiti because it was named by the high priest of our waka, Ngatoroirangi. Otaiti, our learned kaumatua tell us, is tapu. From Otaiti to Maketu are numerous fishing taka, the footsteps of Ngatoroirangi. Our estuary's proper name is Ongatoro. The tupuna inspires our kaitiakitanga.

We are opposing any consent that pushes for full wreck removal for the sole reason that any further removal will cause irreparable damage to Otaiti. Even without a deal, we would hold that position.

Wrecking a tapu taka is not tikanga and allowing it is not kaitiakitanga.

Our position is based on evidence from our own independent investigations. This involved guidance from a professional Te Arawa diver, senior Te Arawa elders, our own knowledge, other experts' reports that there are no lingering poisons, our experience of the Resource Management Act and legal realities.

Our deal means we can control ongoing monitoring of the wreck. We will use the mauri model created by our very own Kepa Morgan. If that monitoring identifies problems from the wreck, then we have the ability to make them accountable.

We asked the Rena owner to support our inter-generational obligation as kaitiaki for our part of the coast, including Otaiti. We reminded him while he can hoki atu back to Greece, we remain - we are ahi kaa.

As a result, his company will contribute $1.25 million towards the construction of a facility for us to base our kaitiaki work from.

Te Whare o Ngatoro will be the first Maori marine centre in the country and its primary purpose will be to ensure the protection and enhancement of our local ecosystem and everything connected to it.

Engaging tamariki in marine science, our future kaitiaki, is another objective. No other iwi or group has negotiated an initiative like this.

This is an outcome Te Arawa can be very proud of. We want to make our places and people healthy again.

-Raewyn Bennett is the chairwoman of Te Arawa Ki Tai Trust.