Te Ururoa Flavell: Water debate will be ongoing

Greetings to you all.

In recent weeks, the topic of ongoing debate has been the matter of mana over water. The Waitangi Tribunal's decision has confirmed that Maori do have rights and interests in water and that it is a different concept to that of ownership under English law. How those rights and interests are defined is yet to be determined .

As a result, King Tuheitia called iwi together to talk. I advised I would not be attending the meeting because we had not received an invitation from the King and it was my belief the hui was solely for iwi, hapu and claimants, including the Maori Council and Iwi Leaders Forum representatives. This is an issue of real significance to Maori and it would be best to leave parties to direct their discussions and come to their own conclusions.

As I write this article, Pita attended on behalf of the Maori Party - I have taken care of our parliamentary responsibilities and Tariana has ministerial responsibilities at two conferences. Once the outcomes of the hui are known, our task will be to follow up on recommendations as representatives of the people.

In among the debate has been the derisive commentary from the MP for Te Tai Tokerau, seemingly targeted at the Maori Party. He made statements on Facebook referring to Maori MPs as "house niggers". This is an exceptionally derogatory thing for anyone (let alone an MP) to say. The comment was erased from his Facebook account the next day and he was quick to distance himself from the sentiment. Too little, too late. This sort of comment is not new to that person, who seems to have no regard for our families and our children who are affected by comments like that - but what can you do?

Recently, a decision was published by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council looking at the establishment of a transfer station at Ngapuna. Apparently, a few hundred tonnes of rubbish from businesses and the like in Rotorua are to be taken there, sorted then transferred on to another location.

Some from Ngati Hinemihi have expressed their anger at this development - as they should. It appears the Rotorua District Council and the regional council did not advertise this venture publicly. The hearing's commissioner has approved the proposal and the project will continue unless the people affected can make their protests heard.

Those who object say the site will smell, be noisy and be an eyesore as it is to be situated on the main road. Ngapuna residents note it is too close to their marae, cemetery, geothermal baths and to where they carry out their day-to-day activities. One cannot deny that but, as the area used to be a petrol station, some ask what is the difference? That sort of activity was approved at some point so is a gas station really too different from a transfer station. The answer might be a dump is a dump and that is it.

I encourage all who have concerns about this to make their voices heard by contacting your local council representative about the matter.

I welcome your feedback. email: mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz. Post: PO Box 12028 Rotorua 3045. Phone: 07 3503261.

Tena ano tatou.

I nga wiki tata kua hipa, kua korerohia tonutia ko nga take e pa ana ki te mana o te wai. Ko ta te Taraipiunara, ae he mana whakahaere to te iwi Maori i roto i tenei kaupapa, engari he mana e rereke ana ki tera o te ture pakeha. E pehea rawa te kaha me ki o a taua mana whakahaere? Ka kitea a te wa.

Na te Kingi Maori a Tuheitia te motu i karanga kia hui ki te korero mo te take nei. I te tuatahi, i ki ake au e kore au e haere. I penei rawa taku korero i te mea, i taua wa, kaore au i te rongo mo tetahi powhiri ki te hui. Ka rua, he hui tera mo nga iwi, nga hapu, nga kaikereme tae atu ki te Kaunihera Maori me te kahui waha korero o nga iwi, ara ko te Iwi Leaders Forum. He nui nga take korero, a ki a au nei, he pai ke kia waiho ake nga wahanga nei ki te korero i o ratou ake korero.

I a au e tuhi ana I tenei korero kua haere a Pita hei taringa mo matou, kua riro maku nga mahi o te Paremata e tiaki, a, he hapai kaupapa ki tona takiwa ta Tariana. Kia puta nga whakatau, ko ta matou hei whai atu ko ta te hui i pirangi nei.

Na, i waenganui i nga ahuatanga o te wiki, i puta nga kupu hahani, kupu tawai a te Mema Paremata o Te Tai Tokerau. Ki a matou o Te Paati Maori nana te ki, he "house niggers" matou. Katahi nei nga kupu whakaiti ko era. Tere tonu tana ukui i ana korero i te Pukamata (Facebook) me tana whakaawhi i a ia ano i aua korero. Tureiti!

Ehara era momo korero e whakawhiu anai te tangata i te ahuatanga houi taua tangata. Kaore ona awangawanga mo a matou hoa, tamariki tonu e tamia ana e aua mo korero! Heoi ano e kore e taea te aha?

Nonatatanei i puta te whakatau o te Kaunihera a Taiao o te Rohe mo tetahi pakihi tuku para i Ngapuna. E ai ki nga korero, e hia rau tana a para nei no nga pakihi o Rotorua ka eke ki reira, katahi ka whakakaohia, a ka heria ki wahi ke. Kua puku te rae o etahi o Ngati Hinemihi, me pera ka tika. Kaore te Kaunihera o Rotorua me te Kaunihera a Taiao o te Rohe i panui whanui I te take nei, a koia nei tetahi o nga whakahe.

Heoi ano, kua whakaaetia te tono e te Komihana, no reira ka anga whakamua te mea nei.

Ko nga mea e whakahee ana, e mea ana, he kaha tonu te haunga, te hoihoi o te wahi ra, a, kei te rori matua ki te taone, a, he weriweri te ahua. Ko ta te hunga kainga a Ngapuna he ahua tata rawa te wahi para nei ki te marae, ki te urupa, ki te ngawha, ki a ratou. E kore e taea te whakahee i tera korero, engari i te mea he wahi tuku penehini tera i mua, kei te patai etahi i te patai "he aha te rereketanga?" I whakaaetia ki te waahi penehini I mua e etahi, a kei tawhiti ke te wahi penehini I te waahi para?

Ara ano te whakautu , ko te wahi para tonu te wahi para!

Ko taku ki a koutou te hunga riri, te hunga hemanawa ranei, whakapa atu ki to mema kaunihera me o whakaaro.