“No comment anywhere about the Options Development Group where the objectives of the mostly Maori members are to hand most of our Crown land back to Maori.”
Well, yes there was something, undeniably underhanded, afoot with regards to the Options Development Group. This was another sordid scheme contrived by Ardern’s government that, unquestionably, can do with exposure to some sunlight!
Ardern promised her government would be the most open and transparent New Zealand has seen but opacity was the name of the game in this case. She was never going to tell Joe Public her government was donkey deep in conspiring to hand over New Zealand’s whole conservation estate to Maori!
New Zealand’s conservation estate is over 2.7 million hectares or 9% of New Zealand’s total land area. Around 30% of those conservation areas are held in stewardship.
Stewardship land was allocated to Department of Conservation (DOC) when it was formed in 1987. ‘Stewardship’ is a conservation category which provides protection based on the natural and historic values of the land.
Since DOC was established over 100,000 hectares of stewardship land has been reclassified. Much of this has occurred through transfers relating to Treaty settlements.
The process of reclassifying stewardship land usually involves surveying the land, scientific analysis of the species and ecosystems present, working in partnership with Treaty partners, and consultation with the public, which may include submissions and public hearings. All the cultural, historic, economic, landscape and recreational values of the land must be considered before a decision can be reached.
Following, DOC convened, hui with iwi in late 2019 where they sought feedback on the process for the review of DOC policies, they were, very succinctly, told that any review process needs to involve Māori at both local and national-level.
DOC were directed to ensure any reviews of the general policies of DOC were to be guided by perspectives and insights from te ao Māori at a national level.
Now, very few of us will have heard of the Options Development Group (ODG). This group was established in late 2020, by the then Minister of Maori Development, Willie Jackson.
The ODG objectives were to:
Incidentally (or maybe not) The ‘lead’ of the three DOC officials is Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb. In April of 2019 she was appointed by the Minister of Maori Development (there’s Willie Jackson’s grubby hands again) to the advisory group working on the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples which gave us He Puapua.
The members of the ODG are reported to have expertise in:
Recommendations and concerns that included –
Everything to do with the ODG and those involved gave off a whiff not unlike that emanating from a Korean squid boat, impounded for 3 months!
Transparency was never a strong suit of Ardern’s government. There was no doubt the conservation estate was being readied for control by Maori. The indicators are there for all to see.
New Zealand’s conservation estate is over 2.7 million hectares or 9% of New Zealand’s total land area. Around 30% of those conservation areas are held in stewardship.
Stewardship land was allocated to Department of Conservation (DOC) when it was formed in 1987. ‘Stewardship’ is a conservation category which provides protection based on the natural and historic values of the land.
Since DOC was established over 100,000 hectares of stewardship land has been reclassified. Much of this has occurred through transfers relating to Treaty settlements.
The process of reclassifying stewardship land usually involves surveying the land, scientific analysis of the species and ecosystems present, working in partnership with Treaty partners, and consultation with the public, which may include submissions and public hearings. All the cultural, historic, economic, landscape and recreational values of the land must be considered before a decision can be reached.
Following, DOC convened, hui with iwi in late 2019 where they sought feedback on the process for the review of DOC policies, they were, very succinctly, told that any review process needs to involve Māori at both local and national-level.
DOC were directed to ensure any reviews of the general policies of DOC were to be guided by perspectives and insights from te ao Māori at a national level.
Now, very few of us will have heard of the Options Development Group (ODG). This group was established in late 2020, by the then Minister of Maori Development, Willie Jackson.
The ODG objectives were to:
- Consider how Treaty responsibilities are currently reflected in the general policies
- Update the description of Treaty principles in the general policies
- Consider how the general policies should reflect the recommendations made in Ko Aotearoa Tēnei (A Report into Claims Concerning New Zealand Law and Policy Affecting Māori Culture and Identity).
- Identify if changes are needed to legislation or other policies to remove any limitations to how DOC and others fulfil Treaty responsibilities.
Incidentally (or maybe not) The ‘lead’ of the three DOC officials is Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb. In April of 2019 she was appointed by the Minister of Maori Development (there’s Willie Jackson’s grubby hands again) to the advisory group working on the UN Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples which gave us He Puapua.
The members of the ODG are reported to have expertise in:
- tikanga and mātauranga taiao (Taiao speaks to the natural environment that contains and surrounds us)
- conservation issues and practice
- applying the principles of Treaty of Waitangi
- policy development and analysis
Recommendations and concerns that included –
- …all Conservation Land reviewed. National Park status was likely to be removed in some cases. All decisions on the future of land including, its resources, would be made by Māori.
- …highlighted that the management and use of resources within Public Conservation Land would be given to Māori to manage as they wish
- “Ensure Tangata Whenua access to and use of all species and resources managed within the conservation system, including within the context of permissions and concessions.”
- Claims “the group brings in a Te Ao to the table but does not reflect a diverse multi-cultural society.”
- The process was undertaken behind closed doors with the public excluded. Consultation was extremely limited.
- The meetings were not open to the public and DOC has refused to publish the meeting minutes
Everything to do with the ODG and those involved gave off a whiff not unlike that emanating from a Korean squid boat, impounded for 3 months!
Transparency was never a strong suit of Ardern’s government. There was no doubt the conservation estate was being readied for control by Maori. The indicators are there for all to see.
What about the furore, back in August 2021, when DOC proposed future ownership of a new $26 million visitor centre at Punakaiki be vested in Ngāi Tahu by the Crown. Merely a precursor to a much larger and more ambitious plan?
And what about the so called “co-governance” model run by Tuhoe and DOC in the Urewera National Park. Closed since August 2021. Why? Because the huts were burnt down by unknown persons and some swing bridges were in a dangerous state of repair.
Tuhoe argued the $2.2 million, paid to them annually by DOC for upkeep, was not enough!
Further enhancing the deception and subterfuge around ODG, this basically unknown group with their hidden agenda to acquire control of the conservation estate, is their concept that increased commercial development and use of protected areas of what was formerly Public Conservation Land will be allowed.
Commercial Development? For commercial development, I read mining!
For example, Ngāti Waewae were advocating for the Denniston Plateau to be opened up for opencast coal mining. This is one of the largest coal reserves in New Zealand. The Denniston Plateau is Stewardship land.
Remember my earlier point about how Stewardship land is transferred through treaty settlements!
Just imagine the royalties that would pour forth from ownership of that chunk of the conservation estate!
Back in 2018 the intrigue and deception reached a new high. The Overseas Investment Office had recommended that Bathurst Coal be allowed to buy three separate areas on the Denniston Plateau. But that recommendation was rejected by, then, Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage, and the Associate Finance Minister, David Clark.
Now get this. The land was subsequently sold to West Coast iwi Ngāti Waewae!
Ngāti Waewae purchased the land through an associated company named Arahura Holdings Ltd. Arahura had 2 shareholders, one of which is Lisa Tumahai. Lisa Tumahai was Ngāi Tahu’s chairperson and is deputy chair of the climate change commission.
There was speculation that Ngāti Waewae purchased that part of the Denniston Plateau having plans to allow Bathurst Coal to use this as a starting point to further opening up of the Denniston Plateau. Ngāti Waewae chairman is Francois Tumahai. More coincidence?
Maori incorporations would have been casting voracious eyes on those proposed changes. The economic opportunities available, if all decisions on the future of land and its resources were to be made by Māori, are massive!
Ardern did warn us that she and her band of miscreants would be a government of transformation. She just forgot to mention so much of the transformation would be undertaken with generous and unstinting help from Willie Jackson and the Maori Caucus, covertly, insidiously and behind closed doors!
If Ardern and her government were conspiring to hand over 2.7 million hectares of publicly owned land;
What was next, Ceding Sovereignty to Maori?
Do not mock!
More importantly, do not think this issue is dead and buried! This Government is aiming to pass a Conservation Amendment Bill by the end of the current parliamentary term; “MODERNISING CONSERVATION LAND MANAGEMENT.”
The purpose of this initiative is to not only streamline concessions and planning processes, and to enable more flexibility around land exchange and disposals, but also to facilitate the inclusion of iwi in the management of conservation land.
The bonanza to the beneficiaries of any change established is simply too far-reaching to abandon and add to that the well proven track record of our Prime Minister’s largess towards the Maori elite; Done deal!
Still think “What next, Ceding Sovereignty to Maori?” is fanciful?
Pee Kay writes he is from a generation where common sense, standards, integrity and honesty are fundamental attributes. This article was first published HERE
4 comments:
He Pua Pua has not gone away. Willie Jackson's little cabinet report (still untabled) is waiting in the wings for the next iteration of a marxist regime to be elected in. Once in NZ will be changed into a tiny third world ethno-state at the bottom of the pacific and renamed Aotearoa.
Once that happens the civil war between Iwi for control of the ashes will start in earnest.
Make no mistake maori are and have never been homogenous and the centuries old grievances will demand Utu.
I never understood why Jacinda Ardern was so keen on He Puapua (after I found out about it). It seems contradictory to what so many people say, and keep saying, that JA is socialist and wants to make NZ part of some international socialist conglomerate (eg WEF).
Do they mean JA wants Maori to be exempt from that? Or do they mean it's preparation for an overseas socialist group to move in and take over?
Ever since the 1975 apartheid TOW Act (English version) was enacted, successive uniparty governments, little by little so as not to scare the horses, have been nudging us towards this very objective, even though it is not the will of the majority, those that know it’s even happening, that is.
The English people of England have broken out their true flag (St George) to overwhelm the enemy within, the British and their Union Jack, with the slogan, sack the Jack, bring George back and it’s taking off like wildfire and waking people up to take action before it’s too late.
Time to take up our NZ Flag (big and small) and overwhelm the enemy within.
The question needs to be asked as to why people want an apartheid country. There can only be one reason that todays radical part-Maori want land and resources under their control. That is for monetary gain. Any people abetting this(lawyers, academics and politicians) are also doing it for monetary gain. To give resources to one part of the population, these same resources must be taken from others. They seem happy to do this.That is the path we are on. Tribal rule by 2040. It only requires a new left-wing government to fully accelerate this. At one point in our history, we were absolutely clear Maori had ceded sovereignty. What has changed? European settlers gave their all in building the country, New Zealand up, and defending it from outside attacks. It is totally going to be up to descendants of European settlers to defend their rights to equal ownership of all DOC land, rivers, lakes, foreshore and seabed. This must be done at the next election otherwise it will be too late.
Post a Comment