Strategic Framework

TAIAO GROUP CHANGES

Departures We wish to thank and acknowledge four Taiao staff who have departed the Taiao Group this year.

Michal Akurangi & Jaymie-Kate Wardlaw In May 2022, Michal Akurangi vacated the role of Manager Taiao to take up a new role as a Senior Policy Analyst with the Ministry for the Environment. Michal’s stalwart service over four action-packed years achieved many positive kaitiakitanga outcomes including the Cultural Values Statement regime, an improved consents assessment process, and establishment of the Korehāhā Whakahau Project, the Korehāhā Rangahau Project and Te Māhere Rautaki Wai Māori o Ngāti Awa Project for freshwater management. In April 2022 Jaymie-Kate Wardlaw departed the role of Consents and Policy Planner for a new role with the Ministry for the Environment as well. We bid farewell to Korehāhā Whakahau Administrator Naedene Stewart whose longstanding service to Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa has been greatly appreciated by us all. Naedene also leaves for a position with the Ministry for the Environment. We wish Naedene, Jaymie-Kate and Michal all the best in their new roles and look forward to collaborating with them on reforms to the RMA.

Te Rangimarie Williams and Te Konae Ltd also departed their role as consents assessor in August 2022, after four years’ sterling service in that position.

Arrivals Taiao Group has warmly welcomed the following staff in 2022:

• John Eruera - Korehāhā Whakahau Project Kaiwhakahaere (Operations

Manager) • Damon Sturmey – Korehāhā Whakahau Kaimahi • Karla Akuhata – Marketing & Communications Advisor for Korehāhā

Whakahau and Rangahau • Rob Whitbourne – Korehāhā Rangahau Project (to 2023) Kairangahau

Matāmua (Senior Researcher) • Lanae Cable – Korehāhā Rangahau (to 2023) Kairangahau (Researcher) • Te Kawa Robb – Korehāhā Rangahau (to 2023) Kairangahau (Researcher) • Jolene George - ESR Iwi Coordinator (secondment) – Te Mahere Rautaki

Wai Māori o Ngāti Awa Project (to 2024) • Gina Mohi-Helmbright – Project Manager, Te Mahere Rautaki Wai Māori

Project (to 2024) • Te Aurere Williams – Taiao Administrator

• Beverley Hughes – Interim Taiao Manager • We also look forward to the return of Communications & Engagement

Advisor Merenia Sawrey in January 2023. 2022 HIGHLIGHTS

Te Mahere Rautaki Wai Māori o Ngāti Awa Project – Gina Mohi-Helmbright and Jolene George. We are delighted to welcome Ms Gina Mohi-Helmbright to the position of Kaihautū Wai Māori having successfully negotiated her secondment from the position of Putaiao Mātauranga in the Science Team at Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Gina has been supporting Te Wai Māori o Ngāti Awa project since its inception. Former Environmental Unit Manager for Te Maru o Ngāti Rangiwewehi Iwi Authority, Environment Court Commissioner, and a Conjoint Bachelor and Master of Resource & Environmental Planning and Earth Sciences, and advisor to Te Mana o Te Wai Funding team at the Ministry for the Environment, Gina brings experience, capability and skill to the role and now commences the planning and recruitment process in earnest. Ms Jolene George (Environmental Science Research Institute is seconded from He Wai Māpuna Programme to TRONA for two years in the Iwi Coordinator role assisting the Kaihautū Wai Māori and Taiao Manager in communicating iwi and hapū wai aspirations in support of the Ngāti Awa freshwater strategy and the Ngāti Awa Environmental Plan.

Jolene’s current focus is to work with Gina on co-design and implementation of the mauri assessment framework and pilot study.

Whakatāne & Kawerau Districts Spatial Planning Project A Spatial Plan is a futures focused high-level strategy document that identifies places in a space that might be developed for human uses, after careful consideration of geographical, natural, and cultural characteristics of the space. As part of the RMA reforms, the Spatial Planning Act will be formalised after the Natural and Built Environment Act comes into force in early 2023. Developing a spatial plan now will help Whakatāne and Kawerau district councils prepare, including for funding rounds that commence if the 3 waters reform is ever concluded.

Whakatāne and Kawerau Spatial Plan districts is being developed between December 2021 and June 2024, in two phases:

• Phase 1: will identify Rangitaiki Plains and Whakatāne, Kawerau urban growth areas • Phase 2: will identify the southern part of the Whakatāne Districts land area

Manager Taiao has attended one Council Leadership hui and two technical group meetings contributing to draft reports and promoting Council’s engagement with the Ngāti Awa community including Rūnanga and NAGHL executives, Ngāti Awa Māori Land Trusts and ngā uri o ngā hapū o Ngāti Awa in the coming spatial planning processes for both phases. LEGISLATIVE REFORMS

Three waters reform

Ngāti Awa rohe is within the massive Three Waters ‘Entity B’ area encompassing Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki regions and upper parts of ManawatuWhanganui region (Ruapehu, Whanganui, and Rangitīkei).

In June 2022, TRONA expressed conditional support for Iwi Secretariat initiative led by Te Arawa Lakes Trust which offers technical support, advice and a modest putea of $15,000) to each participating Iwi.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa conditions included:

• Recognition that Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa is the mandated representative body for the confederated hapū of Ngāti Awa, and no other entity is entitled to do so • The Crown must uphold this outcome of the treaty settlements process • promoting the principles in the

Mātaatua Declaration on Water

• reserving its rights and interests in freshwater • reserving its discretion to determine what Te Mana o Te Wai means to Ngāti Awa • opposing privatization of water and a water permitting that marginalizes Māori land lessors whose lessees may hold water permits for use on their Māori land • promotes research into groundwater and surface water bodies.

WHAKATĀNE RIVER

Te Rāhui Herenga Waka - Boat Harbour On 23 June 2022, resource consents were granted by Ministers David Parker (Environment) and Kiritapu Allen (Conservation) for Te Rāhui Herenga Waka Boat Harbour, in accord with the recommendations of the Environmental Protection Authority.

Recommendations in TRONA cultural impacts assessment and responses feature in thirteen consent conditions designed to mitigate adverse effects on Whakatāne River, wetlands, biodiversity, biosecurity, ecology, access, water quality, management of contaminated soil, Ngāti Awa traditions and customary activities including white-baiting, swimming, waka ama and crossing the river to Ōpihi.

TRONA’s Taiao Manager will continue to work with in the Technical Reference Group alongside BOPRC, Whakatāne District Council staff to identify what the consent holders will need to do to comply with the consent conditions imposed by the EPA. TRONA Taiao will continue to monitor consent conditions for the duration of the consent term, at the cost of the consent holders.

BOPRC Easement for Flooding Protection and Return of Land to Te Rāhui Lands Trust TRONA has supported the Bay of Plenty Regional Council easement for continued use of the floodwater channel at 44 Keepa Road, to ensure Māori land in the Kōpeopeo catchment area continues to be protected from stormwater flooding in future. Careful consideration of the dual use of the channel and return of land at 44 Keepa Road to Te Rāhui Lands Trust, was also supported by TRONA Board. Opihi Whānaungakore In May TRONA decided:

• Not to appeal the High Court decision on the Ōpihi resource consents to the Court of Appeal but to find another way to fight the proposed development • To pay the High Court costs incurred by TRONA and other

Ngāti Awa parties including

Ngāi Taiwhakāea and the Ōpihi

Whānaungakore Urupā Trustees • To appeal the Heritage

NZ decision to issue an archaeological authority to MMS

GP Ltd subdivision consent, in the Environment Court

TRONA’s appeal against Heritage NZ in the Environment Court is currently scheduled to be heard on 5 to 7 December 2022 at Te Mānuka Tūtahi at Whakatāne, where evidence prepared by Tā Hirini Mead and Michal Akurangi will be heard by the Court.

TRONA has also lobbied central and local government representatives to find alternative locations for the proposed residential and retirement village developments and is also engaging with BOPRC consents staff on earthworks consents that were withdrawn by MMS GP Ltd in 2021 but which may be relodged after the archaeological authority appeal is heard in November 2022. Stormwater network Since May, Team Taiao has been notified of four wastewater spills to Whakatāne River caused by heavy stormwater inflows overwhelming the current system or cracked and illegal and improperly installed hook ups resulting in infiltration that mixes wastewater with stormwater that then flows to Whakatāne River.

Whakatāne District Council and TRONA Taiao are working through a programme of action to reduce these overflows and aim to resolve these ongoing three waters infrastructure issues in 2023. RANGITAIKI RIVER

Fonterra Wastewater Treatment Plant TRONA Taiao and the Rangitāiki Hapū Coalition have assessed and supported Fonterra’s proposal to establish a new wastewater treatment system to minimize nutrient and contaminant discharge to Rangitaiki River.

TRONA’s recommended consent conditions include ongoing mauri monitoring before, during and after the treatment system has been established.

TARAWERA RIVER

Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group As a result of the Rangitihi Treaty Settlement a new Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group has been established to which Pouroto Ngaropo has been nominated by Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa Board decision in June 2022.

Tarawera River Tangata Whenua Forum The Tarawera River Tangata Whenua Forum was established in 2010 by Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Rangitihi and Tasman Mills Carter Holt Harvey and Norske Skog Tasman to enable them to work constructively on environmental matters concerning Tasman pulp (CHH) and paper (NST) mills and the effects of the mill’s activities on Tarawera River, on land, air and for the benefits of tangata whenua parties, the people living in this area. With the departure of Norske Skog Tasman in 2021, remaining industry Oji Ltd has now proposed a new Memorandum of Understanding to update that established in 2009. Team Taiao and Ngāti Awa representatives Miro Araroa (Ngāti Hāmua) and Boyce Kingi (Ngāi Tamaoki) are working on development of the new MOU with Oji Ltd and informed by TRONA Manahautū and the newly appointed member to the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group, Pouroto Ngaropo. CO-MANAGEMENT

Te Tapatoru a Toi Te Tapatoru ā Toi Co-Management Governance Group for Moutohorā, Tauwhare Pā and Ōhope Scenic Reserve is reviewing Ngā Tikanga me Ngā Kawa Terms of Reference and Te Tapatoru ā Toi Conservation Management Plan (CMP).

Matatā Advisory Committee – new members including Rangitihi Established in 2005 as a result of the Ngāti Awa Settlement, the Matata Reserves Joint Advisory Board is now being refreshed to formally welcome recently settled Ngāti Rangitihi membership.

As well, newly appointed Ngāti Awa representatives to the Joint Advisory Board include Stan Ratahi (Ngāti Hikakino) and Manurere Glen (Ngāi Te Rangihouhiri II) by nomination by the TRONA Board meeting of June 2022.

Kawerau – District boundary adjustments, consents on industrial land Kawerau District Council, with letters of support from affected landowners, has applied to the Department of Internal Affairs to expand its district boundaries to encompass the Pūtauaki Trust block, Manukorihi Block and Kawerau A8C into the Kawerau district to enable further expansion of the Pūtauaki Trust Industrial Park and correct four historical anomalies that bisect three out of four Māori land blocks, so parts are in Kawerau district and part is in Whakatāne district.

Two Māori land trusts opted not to be included in the boundary adjustment.