Maori are working toward reclaiming ownership of Panepane Point – a section of Matakana Island opposite Mauao on the Tauranga Harbour entrance.
Matakana hapu and Ngaiterangi iwi have been involved in more detailed discussions with the Western Bay of Plenty District Council over the 200ha piece of land since early 2012, a report to this week's meeting of the council's Te Komiti Maori reveals.
Maori is working with WBOPDC on reclaiming title of Panepane Point on Matakana Island.
The preferred option for Maori is for the full return of title, subject to the guarantee of public access and joint management with WBOP District Council, via a Reserve Management Plan according to the report expected to be adopted this Friday.
A recommendation from a series of workshop meetings between council staff, Ngaiterangi and Matakana Island representatives is suggesting a staged approach be chosen. It will start with a joint governance/management approach via a Reserve Management Plan, with the hearings process for the plan will including joint representatives of iwi and council on the panel.
The intention is to develop a draft Reserves Management Plan by December 2013, which includes reference to Panepane Point's future ownership.
A Reserve Management Plan, which is required regardless of ownership options, is for adoption by the new Council in early 2014.
Any transfer in ownership will require a process of public consultation, and this will influence the direction that councillors take in respect of ownership. The best time for this is as part of the annual plan process for 2014/15. This will allow sufficient time for the respective parties to complete the necessary actions regarding the governance structure and reserve management plan.
Legal opinions are being sought on a number of matters including transfer of powers to adopt the Reserves Management Plan including the joint administrative body, legal access and the trust structure.
The 200hectares of land on the north western side is the site of some of the Port of Tauranga navigation markers. Ownership was transferred from the harbour board to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council in the 1989 local government reforms.
'I guess the Crown at that time took the view there was no need to hand land back if it was still required for a public use,” says Ngai Te Rangi rununga chairman Charlie Tawhiao.
'The Crown took a fairly liberal view of what a public work was in those days. Anything the public wanted to do was public work and was never challenged.”
Maori concerns about the long term future of their former lands were confirmed when the Tauranga City Council proposed selling off the May Street Reserve. Public reserve land it claimed was not used by many people and that could be sold to retire debt.
'It was about that time we became aware councils were going to come under increasing pressure in future to dispose of land that the community believes are public reserves, but in the interest of clearing debt, the economic argument,” says Charlie.
'We figured things like Panepane, the recreation reserve on Mauao, will be secured in the long term pubic interest by title transfer, because we will never sell it. Like Mauao, we will never sell it. Neither can we pick it up and take it anywhere.”
Charlie says it as an opportunity for the district council to show some leadership in terms of returning the property to representatives of its former owners. The council didn't pay for the land so it's not losing anything by returning it, says Charlie.
39 comments
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Posted on 23-07-2013 13:20 | By patto
here we go again when is it going to stop?
Bludgers
Posted on 23-07-2013 13:35 | By rosco532
'''The council didn't pay for the land so it's not losing anything by returning it, says Charlie.'''' And nor did you Charlie...So get a real job and stop putting your hand out... At the best now days you could be considered as a ''1/2 cast''..Which means that the ''Other 1/2'' belongs to European ownership...
pathetic
Posted on 23-07-2013 14:14 | By rosscoo
where does it end first they want the mount(Mauao) now they want to claim Matakana or part there of. whats next Waiheke. It is obviously just greed the Moari just wants everything for nothing. We gave them Ragland golf course used to NZ top golf course now look at it gone to ruins because they just do not care.
Round two
Posted on 23-07-2013 14:26 | By YOGI BEAR
Of infinity ... this is just the start of the landslide, and what a joke to say "we never sell it" come on mate that is a bit rich and some, the repeated take then sell has been going on in a repeat fashion for 170 odd years plus some.
Joint
Posted on 23-07-2013 16:07 | By Equality
If we are stupid enough to give the Maori full title - then cut out the joint governance/management approach! The only thing 'joint' about it is that the Maori own it - the rest of us pay for it! Wake up council - you represent your ratepayers!
jj
Posted on 23-07-2013 16:33 | By jj
I agree - when is it going to stop!
I smell a rat
Posted on 23-07-2013 16:43 | By peecee09
All of these land grabs scare me . If they are successful the rest of us will probably end up paying to use it. If it is passed to maori it MUST be on condition of FREE access forever for EVERYONE.
Posted on 23-07-2013 17:24 | By Half_Caste
Local iwi can speak for themselves on when it will end but in my view this will only end when every square inch of the land stolen from Maori is returned together with the lost opportunity cost. Today's settlements represent a very small fraction of the real cost to Maori so we should be grateful for the politically driven limits on the settlement process or we would all be broke!
Huh
Posted on 23-07-2013 18:12 | By Shane
Patto - don't you want that beautiful piece of land being overrun by gorse and shanty style huts (with taxpayer funded sky tv???). Another fine example of native affairs leading the way.
Got to question the motive!
Posted on 23-07-2013 18:27 | By TheCameltoeKid
Yeah I can see this coming a mile off. Next they go for the Harbour floor so they charge the Port Company and all other commercial users to pass through the entrance. Mark my words, the Maorification of New Zealand is very real and happening!
To stay in councils hands
Posted on 23-07-2013 18:58 | By kb
Sorry you won't convince me Mr Tawhiao It'll end up just like a couple of the northern beaches, lake taupo, Te kaha , Mt tarawera ,may not happen right away but eventually we will be charged to go on them. If the council own it ,everyone owns it including Maori
@ half_caste
Posted on 23-07-2013 21:29 | By Captain Sensible
When you talk about land "stolen" from maori, are you referring to how one tribe murdered and ate another tribe and "stole" their land? Maori were willing sellers of land they never even owned. It was almost worthless in those days. The shame maori bring on NZ with their greed is sickening.
half caste??
Posted on 24-07-2013 08:19 | By kb
I'd say at best it was gifted to the council not stolen. once you give something you can't take back.captain sensible got it right.Imagine the money that would have to change hands when the ports want to dredge the channel. Yea its all about greed.
Prove it
Posted on 24-07-2013 08:49 | By crazyhorse
The so called local iwi want this land back, if i sell my land i have to prove i own it, what proof have these people that they actually owned this land, any paper work from past sales, did any their families have homes on it with the proof they were there,where is the proof they owned this land squatting on it for a month or so a 100 years ago does not count,and once again is the local council asking questions for the rate payer, no they will roll over like they always do, saying it has nothing to do with them. The truth is if council would kick and squeal yodel and yelp! people then hear and get involved, people then get a say, government are a little more wary, maybe even actual events and facts might come out, might even end in a debate, that's called DEMOCRACY!!!!
nzer
Posted on 24-07-2013 09:48 | By Whawhe
Ignorance - read the article, this part of the island was 'taken' for port works which never eventuated. the public can't access this part of the island without a permit anyway. imagine if someone stole your grandfathers google shares, profited of them for years while you struggled, wouldn't you try to get them back.
FRIGHTENING STUFF
Posted on 24-07-2013 11:23 | By crazyhorse
The thing people need to take a long hard look at! and think about is!, these people claim to (REPRESENT)!!!!the former owners, so very well might end up under their control and they never had any rights pertaining to this land in the 1st place,this would not happen anywhere else but Newzealand, pathetic!.
Non believer
Posted on 24-07-2013 11:46 | By penguin
I don't, for one minute, believe the 'spokespeople' for Maoris who give us these "genuine assurances” and other hollow rhetoric that non Maori will not be prevented from LAND THAT ALL KIWIS OWN!!!! If they want to have exclusive rights, then stop paying millions in 'settlements,' stop paying government social welfare benefits and stop making our society into one that is rapidly becoming culturally divided. Use the treaty settlement money already paid out to look after themselves without other support!
@ KB
Posted on 24-07-2013 12:21 | By Blessed
Mt Tarawera charges came about because people were dumping rubbish up there and Iwi and DOC had to clean it up! same thing happened for Soda springs at Rotoma, (locals decided to do it up) what charges are in Te Kaha?? I agree leave Matakana public land with guaranteed public access.. as long as idiots dont trash it like many free areas around NZ..
Sorry if im Wrong but..
Posted on 24-07-2013 12:40 | By Blessed
Hey, All u MAORI, Half Maori ect, what r u getting out of this? Bet the Majority get absolutely Nothing.
historic shoreline survey
Posted on 24-07-2013 14:51 | By yikes61
As part of the Resource consent application for channel dredging by Port of Tauranga, part of their submission was a Statement of Evidence by the late Professor Healy. Contained in his evidence were historic Panepane Point shoreline surveys dating back to 1922. These showed that the shoreline in 1922 was, using the photo above, west of (behind) the trees and that all of the sand area has built up since then. In his words ' illustrates that the spit has prograded eastward some 250m since 1922, and that the maximum eastward extent was in 1995, after which the shoreline retreated by up to 75m'. Given these 'facts' Panepane point could be claimed by anyone as it is not held in any title given that it is an area of accretion and erosion, always on the move. As it is, from what date are Maori claiming the shoreline as a baseline of their claim, 1700's, 1800,s 1900's, 2000's, when they first saw it,????? and on what proof, a survey by a European maybe? Given the professional rates of land surveys today, maybe all land surveys could be backdated and charged to Maori.
How many
Posted on 24-07-2013 16:16 | By Blessed
Maori are actually claiming this? the majority of maori are not even interested in these Claims being put forward. What do u actually get out of these Claims? How many from these 2 Iwi are actually attending the negotiations? there is ruffly 500,000 maori in NZ and a further 200,000 living in Australia. All who have European or some other bloodline?
@ Yikes61
Posted on 24-07-2013 16:28 | By Good day
Doesn't accretion and erosion automatically follow the adjoining title holder?
Be Blessed
Posted on 24-07-2013 17:58 | By rosco532
The majority of 200,000 Maori living here in Australia you talk of are, as a rule, so embarrassed by the actions being taken by Iwi over there..(you can tell which ones are doing the ''grab''...they are the ones in the flash boxers...lol)..The others will probably receive nothing.. What really gets me is, WHY are there no govt. officials or elected Councillors replying to any of these articles...(I assume they can read...lol)
Yikes!
Posted on 24-07-2013 18:08 | By Shane
yikes61 - what a salient point you make. I wonder how many benefits the natives of the point would give up to take back the accretion' land???? Car pie.
Good point Good Day..
Posted on 24-07-2013 21:23 | By yikes61
although looking at LINZ site, they aren't automatically entitled, they have to put in an application meeting requirements. Shows the benefits of the Queens Chain allowing public access along waterways and shorelines, bring back the foreshore and seabed act I say.
Accretion
Posted on 25-07-2013 10:03 | By YOGI BEAR
That normally vests in the crown, less the mobile queens chain that no one gets, at least that is the idea, truth is something else. YIKES61, all that want (Maori) is "all" that is what it is about, seems completely irrelevant that Maori were 6-7th to NZ so clearly have no claims to anywhere the magnitude that they claim to have. There maybe some wrong-doings but really that was a two way thing at the time e.g. what about the settlers families that were wholesale slaughtered?
Good Day
Posted on 25-07-2013 10:27 | By Good day
Yikes I'd be surprised if the application wasn't simply an administrative matter i.e. re- surveying the boundaries, paying a fee for a new title, but that land should follow through to the adjoining landowner. Why is Council even considering turning it into a reserve, thats just more rates money to pay into it. Its not a reserve at the moment.
@ Good Day.......
Posted on 25-07-2013 15:56 | By yikes61
endangered New Zealand Dotterel nesting site for one???
Good day gone bad ...
Posted on 25-07-2013 16:27 | By YOGI BEAR
That is because they don't pay for the bad decisions that they make.
Thats a good reason Yikes but 200ha?
Posted on 26-07-2013 09:17 | By Good day
.
public access guaranteed
Posted on 29-07-2013 08:10 | By ow
But we will charge for that access. You lot are just renting this country of us anyway.. my mate peter will back me up on this one
Dotterel
Posted on 29-07-2013 13:59 | By YOGI BEAR
That will be claimed also as "native rights" to catch and eat them endangered or not, call it a "mutton bird" substitute.
Greedy land grabs.
Posted on 11-08-2013 22:33 | By Bob
Become a republic then you will no longer be responsible for native title redress as you will no longer be part of the British empire, they did the deal not you. Then all the Iwi would have to fly to the U.K to file their grievances as the N.Z courts would no longer be agents of the crown. Problem solved no longer would you be paying money to people whose own history and stories suggest that they are in fact not indigenous to N.Z .
Bob
Posted on 14-08-2013 10:01 | By YOGI BEAR
"Suggest" is generous, Maori were 7th to NZ and that is all documented and proven, even Maori accept that as truth. There are a few Treaty hungry occupants in Wellington that have convinced themselves to think otherwise but that is simply self serving and of no value in any realistic debate.
About Time!!
Posted on 14-08-2013 10:11 | By hakihana
Yes this is a great idea and it should definately be supported as it needs to be returned to the people and not managed by the theives that took it! It does not need to be divided into part European ownership either that is a stupid idea.
Yes great news.
Posted on 16-08-2013 18:16 | By Te Ponui
No one else has access to anything. We still hunt and gather kai in the bush. So a few folk use the beach.. thats all good. But any public access poses a huge fire risk to the forest. Give it back. Now rather than later
Hakiana
Posted on 20-08-2013 22:13 | By crazyhorse
Your right, no need for european culture here, no electricity, no sewerage ,no mail, phone, education, transport,healthcare, great we need more of it.lets leave them to it.
Crazyhorse
Posted on 21-08-2013 14:56 | By Good day
What does european culture have to do with ownership of land? what does healthcare have to do with owning land? Unless your suggesting separatism. This is about ownership. Taken for one purpose but never used for that purpose (illegal) It should be sold back to the original owners or their descendants at the price paid for it considering it was never used for the purpose it was taken. Thats what would happen for europeans, so thats what should happen for maori.
Good day
Posted on 21-08-2013 18:36 | By crazyhorse
What i am saying is that i'm happy that Hakihana and you want, and will take full ownership and responsibility for this land, i'm also saying you will pay for all up keep if this is such, or is it the its ours but NZ tax payers pay for its up keep, whats the story on rates, you fellas are going to have some bill there??? maybe not!!
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