Waiariki MP Rawiri Waititi has condemned Regional Development Minister Shane Jones for recent comments directed at local hapū Ngāti Kuku, where Jones stated:“Ngāti Kuku, you have a strange name, please lay off imposing costs on the rest of Kiwis.”
“Not only are these words immature, but they are also a disgrace. They diminish the mana of Ngāti Kuku and completely undermine their role as kaitiaki of Tauranga Moana” said Rawiri Waititi.
Waititi also criticised the Port of Tauranga’s behaviour in its expansion bid under the Fast-Track Approvals Act, who have attempted to go beyond the scope of the law by seeking to extend on both Sulphur Point and Mount Maunganui, despite the Act explicitly limiting expansion to Sulphur Point.
“The Port tried to manipulate the wording to suit themselves” said Waititi.
The Port has a history of non-compliance, including failures to uphold conditions set under its 2011 dredging consent. Previous EPA hearings and interim decisions have already made it clear that proposed extensions would have devastating impacts on both the hapu of Ngāti Kuku and Whareroa Marae.
Every iwi and hapū of Tauranga Moana opposed the application. In total, 47 submissions were lodged in opposition, with three local hapū carrying that fight through to the High Court.
“This fight is not Ngāti Kuku’s alone” Waititi said. “Ngā hapū o ngā moutere o Matakana and Rangiwaea have stood alongside them from the beginning, including during this week’s High Court proceedings.”
He acknowledged that this struggle has dragged on for more than six years, draining whānau of time, money, and energy. He also reminded that the Port of Tauranga and Tauranga Airport were built on land that was stolen from Ngāti Kuku and Whareroa through the Public Works Act, Native Lands Act, and forced sales.
Today, whānau continue to suffer from the toxic industries that surround the whenua of Whareroa.
“For Ngāti Kuku, this battle is about more than the health of Te Awanui. It is about the survival of their people, their whenua, their marae and the future of their mokopuna” said Waititi.
“This is bigger than a port expansion. It is about ensuring the survival of hapū who have already lost too much at the hands of the Crown. Ngāti Kuku deserve respect, not ridicule.”