Kiwiblog has steered us to some fascinating Treaty-influenced how’s-your-father and regulatory nonsense in Hawke’s Bay .
A post headed Mandatory prayers for native trees! tells of consent authorities requiring prayer sessions before trees are cut down to make way for a solar farm that could power around 7,500 homes.
These compulsory prayers – it seems – are required to satisfy the cultural demands of local iwi.
Without them, presumably, the trees mustn’t be cut down, the farm can’t be developed, and the residents of 7500 homes will have to find other energy sources.
Kiwiblog has sourced its report to ACT MP Simon Court, who has posted his indignation on X (better known as Twitter).
ACT is a party which rails against over-regulation, and – if Court is accurately reported – he has winkled out a splendid example of regulatory nonsense.
He says:
Another case study in regulatory insanity. In rural Central Hawke’s Bay, a resource consent for a solar farm that could power around 7,500 homes came with conditions like these.
He has posted these requirements:
Click to view
These compulsory prayers – it seems – are required to satisfy the cultural demands of local iwi.
Without them, presumably, the trees mustn’t be cut down, the farm can’t be developed, and the residents of 7500 homes will have to find other energy sources.
Kiwiblog has sourced its report to ACT MP Simon Court, who has posted his indignation on X (better known as Twitter).
ACT is a party which rails against over-regulation, and – if Court is accurately reported – he has winkled out a splendid example of regulatory nonsense.
He says:
Another case study in regulatory insanity. In rural Central Hawke’s Bay, a resource consent for a solar farm that could power around 7,500 homes came with conditions like these.
He has posted these requirements:
Click to view
Kiwiblog’s David Farrar tartly comments:
So the solar farm operator has to arrange mandatory prayers for any native trees they remove, to provide solar power to 7,500 homes.
On the assumption that this is mandated because native trees have souls, and you need to pray for the tree souls as they are felled, why is this not extended to exotic trees also? Do immigrant trees not also have souls?
Simon Court has added a bit more on his Facebook page:
The crazy thing is: a 21kW solar setup requires a consent with many of the same conditions as a 52,000,000kW solar farm in CHB. If big players struggle with the cost of this, imagine what it’s like for a smaller business wanting to simply install panels to power their business.
One comment on the Facebook page suggests Court and his bosses
… take a look at what’s happening in Taupo too. Up and down the country.
This seems to be a reference to information broadcast by Duncan Garnier on his podcast.
He highlighted:
– The co-governance agreement you won’t have heard of because it’s being done behind closed doors.
– Taupō District Council and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. It’s an upgrade to their 2009 agreement so why are the public not being told and what’s going on?
Garner reckons it extends huge powers of veto to local iwi.
The news media generally seem to have ignored the issue, but Newstalk ZB has reported the mayor’s denial of being involved in anything which smakce of co-governance.
Talks about a major update to a 15 year old agreement between Taupō’s council and the region’s largest landowners have sparked controversy.
The 2009 Joint Management Agreement between the district council and Ngāti Tūwharetoa is being workshopped, and a draft agreement has been presented to the public.
Critics argue that no public mandate has been issued, and that ‘Treaty principles’ are embedding ‘co-governance’ directly into council operations.
Mayor David Trewavas told Mike Hosking the agreement had absolutely nothing to do with co-governance – rather, it is about protecting Lake Taupō.
He said that when people actually look at and understand the deal, they’ll understand it’s about protecting the lake and ensuring it remains one of the cleanest in the world.
“It’s just all about the lake, nothing to do with co-governance at all.”
Could we call it a partnership?
A Te Auo report in March said a new civic administration building represented a new era in Taupō, with Ngāti Tūwharetoa entities and the Taupō District Council housed under the same roof.
The development was the result of a partnership between the Taupō District Council and several Ngāti Tūwharetoa entities aimed at enhancing local governance and community engagement.
The partnership includes the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, Tūwharetoa Limited, the Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust, the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Fisheries Charitable Trust, and Te Pae o Waimihia Trust.
The Chairman of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust, Rākeipoho Taiaroa, said the building will be a hub for unity.
“Actually, it’s the first of its kind to have a co-habitation of Iwi and its council together.”
Under the agreement, Te Whare Hono o Tūwharetoa Limited Partnership acquired the former Taupō RSA site from the council.
The partnership was responsible for constructing the building, with the council leasing approximately 3,000 square meters for its operations.
Construction began in early 2023, with completion expected by early 2025. The facility will provide a contemporary workspace for council staff while symbolizing a deepening collaboration between local government and Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
More than just an office space, the new building is regarded as a taonga (treasure), representing the enduring partnership and shared aspirations of the council and Ngāti Tūwharetoa entities. It stands as a testament to their commitment to working together for the benefit of the Taupō community.
Taupō Mayor David Trawaves said there’s been no other partnership like this, where local council will be working face-to-face with mana whenua every day.
“It’s the way of the future, that’s for sure! Where we come together with local Iwi authorities. Where we can make quick, good decisions.”
So partnership is good.
What about co-governance?
In 2022, OneNews reported Taupō District Council and Ngāti Turangitukua hapū had signed the Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement – described by an iwi spokesman as a ground-breaking moment for the community.
It covered Resource Management Act, Local Government Act and Reserves Act matters and was to be implemented by a co-governance committee “equally made up of Ngāti Tūrangitukua and council appointees”.
A racially disproportionate 50:50 deal, in other words.
Tina Porou, Ngāti Turangitukua spokesperson, said:
“It enables us to co-manage and co-govern our reserves in the town. To me that’s really ground-breaking and it’s a place where all of the community could participate in those decisions,
“It reflects the importance of mana whenua, and the whānau who have lived in this rohe for 1000 years, but it also acknowledges and respects our community who have joined us.”
The OneNews report noted that co-governance with Māori had been a point of contention in the previous few months, with ACT Party campaigning for a referendum on the issue.
ACT leader David Seymour contended the Treaty of Waitangi was not a partnership and therefore co-governance arrangements should not be viewed as a necessary extension of that.
Porou had a different stance.
“For me co-governance is the opportunity to share in the decisions that impact all our communities.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do but it creates a platform for us to share in all the decisions in our town, to disestablish the Tūrangi community board and replace it with a co-governance committee made up of half of our hapū and half of the council.”
Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said the council had embraced it.
“What a wonderful day it was on Saturday to sign this agreement, it just absolutely makes sense for Tūrangi going forward.”
Obviously, the mayor thinks it absolutely makes sense to proceed with whatever deal has been struck to protect Lake Taupo.
Just don’t call it co-governance.
Meanwhile, let’s hear from Simon Court on what he and ACT make of these Treaty-brandishing capers.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
If unelected Maori, (putting themselves forward as the saviours of our country), don’t understand why there is growing discontent among NZers who can’t or don’t wish to use their whakapapa as a means to take the country back to tribal rule-we have a huge problem. And how can Tina Porou of Ngati Turangitukua claim mana whenua have lived in this role for 1000 years? Just another unsubstantiated tall story.
I am sure that, for a suitably large koha, the prayers for the trees can be done from the public bar of the closest local, this not interfering in the building of the solar farm.
My question to Mayor Trewavas is - Are iwi the only ones capable of protecting the lake?
Duncan garner has said the ratepayer is paying 1.25 mill to share the council building. I wonder if that is a current market rate?
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