6. HONE HARAWIRA (Māori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) Link to this
to the Minister of Conservation
Kua hoatu e ia he tohutohu ki te Attorney-General kia whai mana ai, kia whai kāwanatanga ai hoki ngā hapū me ngā iwi ki ngā rāhui tapu i te moana; i roto i ngā ture takutai moana hou; ā, he aha aua tohutohu?
[Has she provided any advice to the Attorney-General regarding the opportunity for hapū and iwi governance and management of rāhui tapu (marine reserves) to be encompassed in the proposed foreshore and seabed replacement regime, and what was the nature of that advice?]
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) Link to this
The advice provided to the Attorney-General has been focused on the involvement of iwi and hapū in the establishment of marine reserves, rather than their governance and management. Management committees have been established for some marine reserves, and it has always been the practice of the Department of Conservation to include both local iwi and hapū representatives on those management committees.
Is the Minister aware that Te Uri o Hikihiki and Te Whānau Whero of Ngāti Wai wish to nominate a marine reserve at Mimiwhangata, but that the Marine Reserves Act 1971 means that the Crown will retain ownership of their rohe and alienate them from governance and management; how will the replacement regime protect their customary interests?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
Yes, the Minister is aware of concerns from iwi in eastern Northland about marine reserves and the impacts on their customary interests. Although there were some informal discussions on marine reserve at Mimiwhangata in about 2004, there has been no formal application, and no statutory process for creating such a reserve is under way. There is a marine reserve reform bill currently before Parliament and the Minister would be happy to have a dialogue on the bill to ensure that a Māori perspective on marine reserves legislation is considered, and that it works well with the new proposed regime around the foreshore and seabed.
What action has the Minister taken to assure Ngāti Wai that the Department of Conservation will act in such a way as to enable them to participate in governance and management decisions over the Goat Island and the Poor Knights marine reserves?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH Link to this
Both the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve and the Okakari Point Marine Reserve are managed by the Department of Conservation with the advice of management committees that include representatives from tangata whenua. This provides the community with an ongoing ability to contribute to the management decisions that relate to those marine reserves, and the Government wants to ensure that iwi has an ongoing role in the management of marine reserves such as those.