Wai 85 Update

Wai 85 Update By the time you read this update wha¯nau, we will know the

outcome of the ratification of the new Deed of Settlement.

Ngàti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tàmaki Nui-à-Rua Settlement Trust have indicated that they will sign the Deed of Settlement in late September 2021. Shortly after that, it is their expectation that legislation will be introduced to Parliament.

Once legislation is introduced, Wairarapa Moana Incorporation could potentially be unable to proceed with our case to the Court of Appeal and the Waitangi Tribunal.

We will be challenging the Crown of the position that our claim is extinguished by the introduction of Settlement legislation.

The Committee of Management continue to request the Crown to remove our Wai 85 claim from the Deed of Settlement with Ngàti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tàmaki Nui-à-Rua. We thank all shareholders and whànau who have supported us on our journey to seek redress by the Crown and to settle Wai 85 on behalf of the owners of the lands at Pouàkani.

Whatever the outcome over the coming months, Wai 85, as far as the Committee of Management is concerned, remains unsettled with the Crown. We have communicated that message to the Minister of Treaty of Waitangi negotiations.

The Committee of Management will provide you with an update when we see you all at the Roadshows in late September, early October and at this year’s Annual General Meeting in Masterton.

›› CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ...

The lake is shallow, 2.5m at its deepest point, and suffers from two layers of sediment, which causes some of the most significant issues with water quality.

More than a century of development, including drainage and flood control schemes, has left the lake in a “highly modified state”, a Greater Wellington Regional Council [GWRC] report said.

The lake is classified as “supertrophic”, meaning it has very high levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in its waters, Land Air Water Aotearoa [Lawa] said.

The supertrophic rating of the lake is the last step before it is deemed dead. Larned said that even if we massively changed how we use our land immediately, we would not see any benefits for decades. He said central government were ambitious with some of the regulations they were in the process of bringing in, including the national policy statement for freshwater management [NPS-FW]. He said the policy was “by far the most far-reaching piece of environmental regulation in New Zealand”. The policy provides updated guidelines to local authorities on how they should manage freshwater under the Resource Management Act [RMA]. The RMA is also under reform.

On top of the NPS-FW, Larned said Three Waters reform would also produce new freshwater regulations. Three Waters reform seeks to change the management of stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water from the hands of councils to fewer, centralised entities.

“If you think about all the possible improvements that come from all of these ambitious regulations, some of them can happen very fast, which will hopefully keep people happy, but some of them will take a long time,” he said.

He said that although some water quality improvement would take a long time to see, people shouldn’t lose heart.

Larned said the slow change in the lake’s water quality was simply down to the physical process, which means water takes a long time to move a long distance. He said the water that was making the trip from the land to the lake was carrying the contaminants with it.

Larned said the best attitude towards the slow change in the lake’s health was the Màori concept of kaitiakitanga [guardianship of natural resources].

Larned said that if we did manage to make these changes, it would be ground-breaking not only for New Zealand, but for the world.

Shareholder Search – Can you help?

We would like your help to trace descendants of shareholder Te Kiri Patito Herangi

Any information you may be able to share with us will be most appreciated. Call Ngaere on 0800 662 624 or email ngaere@wairarapamoana.org.nz