Marine and Coastal Area Act (MACA) representative for Ngai Tamahaua Hapu, Tim Herewini, has responded to the granting of resource consent for the Opotiki marina by the Environment Court – released yesterday afternoon – describing the much anticipated decision as ” inevitable and imperfect given the consent and court decision-making are weighted against Maori values and towards commercial values,” saying: “the Hapu of Whakatohea have made their best endeavours during mediation with the developers to remedy the environmental deficiencies with the large-scale project, but the central and regional funding already given to the now completed Opotiki harbour entrance development fatally prejudiced our case.”
Mr Herewini stated: “realistically the 170 berth marina has no value to the Tangata Whenua or the vast majority of people of the district while the wharf to service the mussel farms could be put somewhere else, so I’m skeptical of the necessity for its existence and of the boon it will supposedly create. Many of the Iwi spokespeople expressing their support are conflicted due to their interests in the mussel company – I think there is a lot of reticence with the people at the flax roots.”
Ngai Tamahaua Hapu had opposed the harbour entrance works and the closing of the former mouth of the harbour – losing on appeal to the High Court in 2021 for being two days late filing with the Environment Court (Ngai Tamahaua Hapu Committee v Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga [2021] NZHC 2033).
Mr Herewini said: “We regarded the Pakihikura (Opotiki harbour) spit, bar and entrance that is now destroyed forever as an outstanding natural feature that we had to protect, but we were refused on a petty technicality and had no resources to continue through the appeal process – this enabled the marina to progress and we could not practically stop it despite our evidence and the concern from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s rivers and drainage engineers that it would contribute to a flooding risk for the town.”
“Don’t blame us when your rates increase or if the town floods,” said Mr Herewini, “we tried to prevent this, and in my view the ratepayers will be largely subsidising the wealthy berth-holders of the marina and the wharf for the mussel company, which is mainly owned by outside interests despite being named after our Iwi: Whakatohea Mussels Opotiki Limited.”
Mr Herewini said although the outcome was disappointing the consent conditions mandating a Hapu engagement group arising from the mediation combined with Memoranda of Understanding with the developers would improve the design of the facility from the initial concept: “Although there is no real benefit per se for the Tangata Whenua in this project our hope is the developers, being local people we have built a relationship with, will incorporate our cultural and environmental values effectively as it proceeds through the various stages.”