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Maori Land and Effective Planning Keriana Wilcox – Senior Planner , Natural Resources Policy, Gisborne District Council
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Outline of Presentation
1. Pepeha2. I nga wa o nehera3. What is Maori Land4. Land Administration5. Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 19936. RMA 19917. TTWMA and RMA8. Planning example: Sustainable Hill Country
Project9. He Timatanga Hou
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Ko Hikurangi te maungaKo Waiapu te awaKo Te Whanau a Ruataupare te hapuKo Ngati Porou te Iwi
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I nga wa o nehera
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I nga wa o nehera
• Traditional Maori society dependant on land and resources for survival
• Lived on land and managed it according to local kawa and tikanga
•Whanau/hapu resource
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I nga wa o nehera (2)
•Named referring to Tipuna and
places from Hawaiki
•Helped denote historical tribal
boundaries (pepeha)
• Established mana whenua
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What is Maori land
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What is Maori land
•Refers to a particular status of land (Tenure and legislation)
•Has not been alienated from Maori Ownership
• Controlled via Te Ture Whenua Maori Act under jurisdiction of the Maori Land Court
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What is Maori land (2)
• Largely uneconomical land with large remnants of indigenous vegetation
• Inaccessible in many cases
•Maori land makes up 6% of land total in NZ
•Gisborne 26% approx
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Land administration
• Largely managed by inc, trusts
established through the Maori
Land Court
•Has a large number of blocks with
multiple owners
• Absentee Owners
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Land administration (2)
•Often not well resourced if no
administration present
• If no administration present uses
the Office of the Maori Trustee to
help manage land
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Te ture
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Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993
• Facilitates and promotes the
retention, use, development and
control of Maori land as taonga
tuku iho by Maori owners, their
whanau, their hapu, and their
descendants."
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RMA 1991 – How is Maori land reflected
• “Promote the sustainable
management of natural and
physical resources”
•6(e) and 7(a) most important
•RMA plans reflect this
environmental ethic
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Sustainable Hill Country Project
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1. Target unsustainable landuse
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2. Identify worst eroding land
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3. Develop rule to target eroding land
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4. Establish effective tree cover
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Planning process
• Pre-notification stakeholder
consultation 2001 - 2005
• Extended submission and furthers
process
• Received 96 submissions, 13 furthers
• 15 Spoke at hearing (3 Maori trusts)
• No appeals!
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Issues
• Project affected a high % of Maori land
• Landowners not sure who and how
• Limited information on contacts and
details
• Issues interpreting Maori concepts
• $$$ to achieve “sustainable
management”
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Issues (2)
• Limited recognition given to
management of land blocks under
kaupapa Maori
• Limited cultural impact assessment
• Information not widely understood and
lengthy
• Lease agreements
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Issues (3)
•Outcome did not reflect the
process, consultation etc…
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He Timatanga hou
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He timatanga hou
•Relationship management
important
• Sort out your consultation process
early
•Use available resources to get
contact details
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He timatanga hou
•Understand the nature of Maori land and relationship of beneficial owners
• Provide for 6(e) and 7(a) matters in a practical way
•Use easily understood material –Summary documents if practical
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He timatanga hou
•Use appropriate people to help
•Use the media effectively
•Help source funding to help Iwi be involved
• Encourage information sharing opportunities
•Use Iwi management plans
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He timatanga hou
•Use/form Iwi consultation group
•Hearing commissioners
• Cultural impact reports
•Korero, korero, korero
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