Te Ātiawa Ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust Cultural Impact Assessment for Jim Cooke Stopbank

Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust Cultural Impact Assessment for Jim Cooke Stopbank.

1. Introduction

a. The author

This Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) has been written by Mahina-a-rangi Baker, who is an Environmental Consultant, working on behalf of Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai.

b. Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust and Greater Wellington Regional Council

Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai (TAKW) are recognised as the mana whenua and kaitiaki of the Waikanae River. As kaitiaki, they have the responsibility to protect the awa and ensure that any adverse effects to it are mitigated. Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust are the mandated iwi authority that represents the interests of TAKW. The Trust has a Memorandum of Partnership with Greater Wellington Regional Council that acknowledges the mana whenua status of TAKW and their role as kaitiaki.

c. Purpose This Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) has been prepared at the request of GWRC Flood Protection to provide an assessment of a proposal for stopbank, gravel extraction and channel widening works in reaches of the Waikanae River referred to as Waimahoe and Te Rere. These reaches have different names in the Waikanae River Environment Strategy. The Waimahoe reach is that which includes Jim Cooke Memorial Park and Te Rere is down stream of this, including the distinct bend (see Figure 1)

Figure 1: Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches of the Waikanae River

The Cultural Impact Assessment (CIA) will: ● identify the TAKW values and interests connected to the Waikanae River, in particular the site of the proposed works; ● assess the potential effects of the proposed works; ● make recommendations as to how to avoid, remedy or mitigate any potential effects; ● make an overall conclusion on the position of TAKW on the proposal.

2. Methodology

The CIA has been produced using a ‘kaupapa Māori’ approach, which is described as research conducted by Māori that requires the researcher to engage with Māori ways of thinking, researching and knowing that are encapsulated within a mātauranga Māori paradigm.1 The kaupapa Māori research approach has developed as part of a larger Māori movement of resistance against the hegemony of western scientific and political systems.2 One of the key intentions of this approach is to address and overcome significant epistemological, linguistic, political and cultural barriers to Māori influencing and contributing to freshwater management decision-making.

Because the knowledge presented and used to conduct the CIA includes mātauranga Māori, a knowledge base that explains the Māori experience of the world,3 a full understanding of the key Māori concepts presented and used in the assessment of the proposal is limited by the use of English as the main language of the CIA.

The method of this CIA was reviewed by the TAKW Environmental Advisory Group which is comprised of five iwi members that provide advice on environmental and natural resource management issues within the iwi.

The project method was largely informed by the ‘Hua Parakore’ conceptual framework. Hua Parakore is a kaupapa Māori framework for planning and evaluating management practices in natural systems, particularly where mahinga kai is a key feature of that system. Hua Parakore was initially developed as a planning and evaluation framework for Māori organic food production.4 The Hua Parakore framework was developed using a methodology resembling the ‘concept planning’ methodology developed by Kane and Trochim (2007) that facilitates a collaborative, participatory process to generate input into the development of specific objectives and evaluation metrics.5 The Hua Parakore framework is one of a suite of

1 Henry, E. and H. Pene (2001). "Kaupapa Maaori: Locating Indigenous Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology in the Academy." Organization 8: 234-242. see also Chapter 10 “Towards Developing Indigenous Methodologies: Kaupapa Māori Research.” In Smith, L. T. (1999). Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London, Zed Books. S 2 Walker, S., A. Eketone, et al. (2006). "An exploration of kaupapa Maaori research, its principles, processes and applications." International Journal of Social Research Methodology 9(4): 331-44. 3 Royal, C., 1998. Te Ao Marama: A Research Paradigm. Te Ora Rangahau Research and Maori Development. Presented at Massey University, Palmerston North. 4 Hutchings, Tipene, Carney, Greensill, Skelton and Baker, 2012: Hua Parakore: an indigenous food sovereignty initiative and hallmark of excellence for food and product production. MAI Journal 1(2) pp.131-45. 5 Kane, M and Trochim, W. (2007). “Concept Mapping for Planning and Evaluation.” Sage Publications.

2 kaupapa Māori planning and evaluation methods that have been developed in recent years, such as cultural health indices and cultural opportunities mapping.6

The Hua Parakore framework categorises the values Māori hold in connection to natural systems into the following kaupapa or values: ● Mauri: Healthy natural systems and healthy people. ● Te Ao Tūroa: Natural order. ● Māramatanga: The enlightenment gained through kaitiakitanga. ● Mana: Social security and justice. ● Wairua: Peace and safety ● Whakapapa: Connection to the natural environment and to each other.7

The Hua Parakore method was applied in this CIA to: 1. Identify how each of the six Hua Parakore values are given expression in the context of the site of the proposed works and the wider Waikanae River 2. Identifying the ‘hua’ or attributes of these values and how they can be measured. 3. Assessing the effect of proposed management activities in terms of these hua. 4. Where necessary, proposing any mitigation that can be implemented to ensure that there are no significant adverse effects to the

Data on TAKW values was collected from the findings of previous projects conducted on freshwater and mahinga kai health by TAKW including the Te Ohu Kaimoana funded ‘Wai Ora’ project, GWRC Sites of Significance Project and HRC ‘Whaia te Ahi Kā’ project. These findings were based on interviews conducted with iwi members with various interests in freshwater. Attributes and measures were identified by the author, in consultation with mahinga kai expert Caleb Royal, and were largely informed by the data and existing monitoring protocols in place.

Two site visits were conducted, one carried out by the author and Caleb Royal, the second also included Kees Nauta, Susan Jones and Shane Parata from GWRC, Nick Cooper from Opus, and Les Mullens as kaitiaki and cultural monitor from TAKW.

6 Baker, M., 2012. The Korowai Framework: assessing GE through tribal values. New Genetics and Society Special Edition vol 31(1); Harmsworth, G.R, Young, R.G., Walker, D., Clapcott, J.E., James, T., 2011: Linkages between cultural and scientific indicators of river and stream health. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 45:3, 423-436; Harmsworth, G. 2002: Coordinated Monitoring of New Zealand Wetlands, Phase Two, Goal 2: Māori environmental performance indicators for wetland condition and trend. Ministry for the Environment, Wellington. http://www.pacificwater.org/userfiles/file/IWRM/Toolboxes/m%20%26%20e/Wetland2Report.pdf Jellyman, D., Graynoth, E. 2010: The importance of tributary streams of Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere in maintaining populations of longfin eels. National Institute of Water & Atmosphere Research Ltd., Christchurch. http://ecan.govt.nz/publications/Reports/niwa-tuna-refugia-report.pdf Pauling, C. 2008: Chapter 8, Cultural health of the lake in Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere, State of the Lake and Future Management, (ed) Hughey and Taylor, EOS Ecology, Christchurch http://www.wet.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Ch08-Cultural-health-of-the-lake.pdf Smith, L., Roberts, M., Tiakiwai-Smith, S., Hudson, M., Hemi, M., Baker, M., 2013. Dialogue at the cultural interface; A report for Te Hau Mihi Ata, Matauranga Maori, Science and Biotechnology. Hamilton: Waikato University Press 7 Ibid 4.

3. Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai values and their attributes in the Waikanae River.

This section will outline the values TAKW hold in connection to the Waikanae River. These values are categorised into the six ‘Hua Parakore’ values. Quotes from kaitiaki (environmental caretakers) and kaumātua (elders) are included. The hua, or attributes, of each set of values will then be identified. The attributes are measurable characteristics of the river system which supports TAKW values. This section will conclude by identifying key attributes that are particularly relevant for the Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches of the Waikanae River, by which effects of the proposed works can be assessed.

a. Mauri

Mauri is defined by the people of TAKW as the fundamental essential life force or energy that drives the whole river catchment system.

The mauri of the river system can be seen through the health and quality of both its components and the functionality of the whole system.

“You know it’s not only about the kai (food) in the river, it’s all about when you get down there, how you feel; kei te rere pai te awa, nē (Does the river flow well)? Is it clean? Where are all the birds? I think if the birds are not there, there’s no food there. The river’s unhealthy; Kua mate te mauri o te awa.”

Healthy mauri is required for the growth and health of living things. When the mauri of the river system is healthy, this in turn supports the health of the communities that are connected to it. The practice of ‘kaitiakitanga’ involves the protection and enhancement of mauri of the awa, in particular to ensure the quality and integrity of the food and other resources it produces.

Attributes

A key attribute of the mauri of the river system is the presence, abundance and biodiversity of native species. The following is a list of species whose presence and abundance in the Waikanae River indicates that mauri is being supported:

 Tuna, short and long fin eel  Kākahi, freshwater mussels (towards the mouth)  Titiko, mudflat snail  Pātiki, flounder (black in the upper reaches, yellow in the lower reaches, clean near the river mouth.)  Kanae, mullet  Koura, freshwater crayfish  Inanga, Galaxias maculatus  Smelt  Kokopū (banded, giant, shortjaw)  Kōaro  Kahawai  Bullies (red fin, common, bluegill)  Herring

 Trout  Torrentfish  Piharau, lamprey  Paddle crab  Anchovies  Harakeke  A range of bird species

Of these species, there are two that are particularly relevant to the Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches of the river, where the works are being proposed, that can be used to assess effects. These are:  Inanga, as the reaches are characterised as an important place for adult to feed and take refuge.  General bird life. Native birds can regularly be seen drinking and bathing in the shallow pools of the river in this area. Bird life has been identified by kaitiaki of TAKW as a particularly important indicator of the general mauri of the river system.

b. Te Ao Tūroa

‘Te Ao Tūroa’ refers to the natural, or enduring world. Literally, it could be translated as the ‘long-standing world.’ The people of TAKW have observed the natural rhythms and patterns of the environment and relied on their predictability to inform their kaitiakitanga, or management or resource use decisions that they might make. In particular, people rely on tohu, or environmental indicators to guide their kaitiakitanga and their resource use.

“I think one of the important things is to do everything seasonally. And by doing things seasonally, it’s also conserving whatever's available. The best time to eat it is when it’s the right time to get it.”

It’s also important that management of the river, or use of its resources does not disrupt the natural order or stability of the river system. Examples of patterns of the natural world include phenomena such as migration of fish and bird species, the movement of the sun across the horizon, and the changing phase of the moon. These patterns are regularly observed by kaitiaki (environmental caretakers or monitors), and the observation of any tohu, or any change to anticipated patterns will trigger a management response.

Attributes

A key attribute of Te Ao Tūroa in the context of the river system is the availability and persistence of the full range of different types of habitat that different river system species may require at different life stages.

There are three types of habitat that are of particular interest to TAKW. These are:  Habitat for bird species  The balance of refuge and feeding habitats for freshwater fish species  The quality of habitat at the interactive space where the aquatic environment meets the terrestrial environment.

Another attribute of Te Ao Tūroa is the ratio of pest/invasive species to native species as an attribute of Te Ao Tūroa. Invasive species have an adverse effect on the value of Te Ao Tūroa in that they change the equilibrium within ecosystems and disrupt the stability and predictability of natural systems.

c. Māramatanga

Māramatanga is the enlightened view of the natural world that is gained through collective cultural memory and knowledge that is handed down from generation to generation. This knowledge is then built on by each new generation by testing it through practice and provides us with important insight into the function and health of the river. It is particularly important to TAKW that decisions made about river are informed through first-hand management experience and practice on the river.

“That whole hands on stuff, that’s actually the guts of it. That’s how tikanga (good management) lives, is through the practice. We’ve become people who theorise about it. Actually let’s do the practice of it, and then see where that takes us.”

Māramatanga involves being able to rationalise and explain design or works carried out in the river, and being able to connect those works to a long-term strategy.

Māramatanga enables and enhances our ability to enjoy plentiful, good quality and safe food from the river. Māramatanga of the awa is critical to our ability to practice kaitiakitanga and practice mahinga kai, or traditional food harvesting, and ultimately to the health of the river.

Attributes

A key attribute of māramatanga in the river system, is that the design and management of the river system has been informed by the appropriate good quality science, methods, knowledge and values.

This attribute can be measured by assessing the degree to which:  TAKW knowledge and values can be identified in the management of the river system and can be seen in observing the river itself.  The method of design is reflexive in that the quality and assumptions of the information used to inform planning is regularly re-examined through practice and evaluation.

d. Mana

Mana is the security and authority that the whānau and hapū of TAKW hold as a result of their relationship with the river as mana whenua and their Treaty rights to tino rangatiratanga of taonga, including the awa and fisheries. This mana is the basis for the practice of kaitiakitanga and the role of mana whenua in decision-making to do with the awa.

There are several aspects to the concept of mana. Firstly, communities have mana when they are the socially cohesive and unified. The river facilitates this cohesion as a space where the people of TAKW and the wider community spend time together as a whānau,

6 socialise, build friendships and mutually beneficial relationships within communities, and share in the benefits of tradition.

Another important aspect of the mana of communities is their food security and resiliency. The river plays a critical economic function for the people of TAKW by providing them with food and other resources. This includes the food that is harvested to support the ability of TAKW to manaaki (host) visitors at our marae and display the quality and abundance of our local food, as an expression of mana.

The final important aspect of mana is the ability for people to live prosperously by managing natural resources for the betterment of the community. This involves good governance and planning of development, including the planning of flood protection works such as those being proposed, to protect the prosperity of the communities living in close proximity to the river.

Attributes

A key attribute of mana is the ability of the public, and the elderly in particular, to access the river channel.

A key attribute of the mana in the river system is a reduced risk posed by flooding to communities who reside or utilise the flood plain area.

e. Wairua

To the people of TAKW, wairua is the spiritual peace and safety of people. Wairua are the intangible qualities of the natural environment and people that must be treated with respect.

The importance of the Waikanae River in terms of the wairua of the people of TAKW is best encapsulated in the following whakatauki or traditional saying. Where ‘that which is being of the Waikanae river’ is equated with peace and humility.

“Ko tōku Waikanaetanga tēnei.” “This is my peace and humility.”

According to a Māori worldview, water is regarded as having the special function of being able to transfer character or quality. For example, pure good quality water that is found in the Waikanae is used to perform spiritual rites such as baptisms or blessings, and for healing both physical and mental illnesses. For many TAKW people, the Waikanae River and its water is used to restore, cleanse, bless and calm the wairua, or the spiritual and emotional well-being of people. Equally, water that is of a poor quality has not just physical effects, but intangible emotional and spiritual effects on people.

“I think the beginning of all of us is water. I think in the womb we are in the form of water. And so it remains for all of us, that the water can be a very strong intellectual charge on us.”

The people of TAKW also hold a high value for the ability to be able to go and enjoy the river as a space that provides enjoyment, fulfilment and calm.

Finally, certain specific sites on the river have a history and connection to ancestors of TAKW which may give them a certain degree of tapu or sacredness. There are no known wāhi tapu, or sacred sites that will be modified or effected in any way by the proposed works.

Attributes

The following are key attributes of the wairua of the river system:

 The calmness of the river corridor as a space, and in turn the degree to which people are able to enjoy being at the river.  Respect and protection of any wāhi tapu

f. Whakapapa

The river also has an important role in providing people with special spaces, sites and activities where their whakapapa connections to their ancestors and other tribal members are felt, experience and enacted. The people of TAKW speak fondly of their memories spent with grandparents and other elders gathering food or spending time together at the river. Certain sites of the river are also associated with particularly significant events or periods in the history of TAKW.

The area of proposed works represents two reaches that are sites of significance to TAKW. As scheduled in Schedule C2 of the Proposed Natural Resources Plan, these are:  Waimahoe, and;  Te Rere

In a broader sense, whakapapa is the network of the genealogical and ecological connections found in the natural world. It is from understanding all these connections and where one is positioned within the network, that gives people a sense of their identity and place in the world. The pepehā, or identity statement, of the people of TAKW references their whakapapa, or connection, to the Waikanae River as one of the key markers and symbols of the identity of TAKW:

“Ko Kapakapanui te maunga Ko Waikanae te awa Ko Whakarongotai te marae Ko Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai / Ngāti Awa te iwi.”

“Kapakapanui is the mountain Waikanae is the river Whakarongotai is the marea Te Ātiawa are the people.

The health of the Waikanae River is therefore symbolic of the health of the people of TAKW.

Finally, the integrity of the whole river system as a well-functioning network also has an important overarching value. This concept can be described in risk-analysis as ‘equipoise’, or the balance of forces or interests. That is, that the degradation of one set of values, cannot be offset by enhancing or mitigating another set of values; it is of upmost importance that the full suite of values is upheld and protected as best as is practicable.

Attributes

The following are key attributes of the whakapapa of the river system:  Schedule C Sites of Significance are protected, respected, and interacted with appropriately.  The integrity of the river system as a whole, across all values

g. Summary of Attributes for Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches

The following attributes will be used to assess effects and recommend any mitigation where necessary:

 Inanga  Bird life  Habitat availability  Ratio of invasive species to native species  Observation of TAKW values and knowledge in the river system  Underlying science that has informed the plan has been evaluated through practice/examples  Access  Flood risk  Calmness of the river as a recreational space  Wāhi tapu are protected  Sites of significance are protected  There is evidence that all six values are being upheld, and not offset against one another.

4. Assessment of proposed works

a. Mauri

The effects to mauri will be assessed according to the following two attributes:  Bird life  Inanga

The Ecological Assessment provided by Wildlands details information on a thorough bird survey conducted at the site of the proposed works. It notes that forty species were observed along the Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches. Of particular interest to TAKW was the observation of the following ‘Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable’ indigenous species:  Pied shag  New Zealand bush falcon

 North Island Kākā  Red-billed gull It is also noted that an observation of the Grey Duck, which is a ‘Threatened – Nationally Critical’ indigenous species was recorded in 2014 just downstream of the proposed stopbank.

The Wildlands survey also recorded numerous observations of the indigenous Tui and Silvereye, and notes an indigenous white-faced heron nest-building in a macrocarpra immediately upstream from the footbridge.

TAKW observations on their site visit also included a number of observations of Tui drinking and bathing in the river.

These observations indicate that bird-life, as an attribute of mauri, in the area of the proposed works is in a good state

The Ecological Assessment notes that some of the significant species listed are likely to utilise taller trees as vantage points or for nesting, and other trees for food or nesting resources, and that therefore the potential effects to birds include:  The loss of nesting and roosting tees  The removal of food and nesting resources  Accidental killing or injury of birds during tree felling and removal  Loss of vantage points, perches and a requirement to alter flight paths.

The Assessment concludes that the affected habitat is not considered significant for birds and despite being used by threatened or at risk species it is unlikely to be locally or regionally important for any of these species, and that the populations will be able to move around the landscape as new habitat becomes available.

Whilst TAKW can agree that the habitat affected by the stop-banking may not be regionally or even locally significant to the birds, the removal of the vegetation and therefore bird habitat from the area of the proposed works has the potential to significantly reduce bird-life in that area, having an effect on the mauri of these reaches. As mentioned earlier in this report, bird-life is an important indicator used by the people of TAKW in the practice of kaitiakitanga.

The potential effect of vegetation removal on bird-life would be better assessed if the applicant could provide any examples of previous cases where bird surveys were conducted before and after vegetation removal for a river corridor, of an equal extent to what is being proposed here

Additionally, the Ecological Assessment states that the vegetation at the 5 different sites where gravel extraction and channel widening is proposed has no significant fauna values, besides one poplar that may be good for roosting or nesting. This appears to also discount the value of the habitat for bird-life, particularly where birds may use the river bank area. For example, section 5.3.3 states that the highly threatened grey duck only uses the river, river banks and pasture grassland area, however this is not referenced in the part of the

10 assessment that deals with the effects of the channel widening and gravel extraction. This indicates that the potential effects on key behaviours and interactions of threatened indigenous birds on the river and river bank have not been fully taken taken into consideration.

In assessing the effects to freshwater fish the Ecological Assessment states that three works need to be considered: the river crossing, the removal of gravel from the dry water channel and beach recontouring.

The Assessment of effects to inanga is limited to a statement that inanga which spawn 2.8 km downstream during March and April may be affected by turbidity. Whilst TAKW are concerned about effects of the river crossing on increased sediment and turbidity, TAKW are equally concerned about potential effects to the habitat availability for inanga. Inanga require good habitat for refuge and TAKW are concerned that the assessment hasn’t identified refuge habitat as a value of these reaches. Therefore the assessment has not been able to fully consider the effects of the removal of vegetation and changes to the geomorphology of the banks on the availability of refuge habitat for inanga. Effects to habitat will be further discussed in the following section.

b. Te Ao Tūroa

The effects to Te Ao Tūroa will be assessed according to the following two attributes:  Balance of habitat availability  Ratio of invasive to native species

Section 3.8 of the application details the removal of vegetation that is being proposed. It identifies that 1.11Ha is being removed from the stopbank construction footprint and 0.17Ha of vegetation is being removed in relation to the proposed channel widening. It states the removal of vegetation is compliant with rules and standards of the operative KCDC District Plan and that an amenity strip will be placed along the boundary of the proposed stopbank.

Whilst the removal may be consistent with the District Plan, there are potential effects of the removal to the values of TAKW that must be considered; in particular there are the potential effects to Te Ao Tūroa.

As outlined in the previous section of this report, the proposed vegetation clearance will potentially have significant effects to bird-life and therefore to the mauri of those two reaches. The vegetation clearance proposed at Site 3, as referred to in the Ecological Assessment is of particular concern to TAKW. It is proposed that a dense patch of indigenous vegetation, comprising older plantings (possibly 10 years old), infilled with very recent vegetation, is to be cleared. This patch includes mahoe, ngaio, kawakawa, cabbage tree, karamu, taupata, lemonwood, pigeonwood, totara, rimu, hebe, hinau, wineberry and flax. The Assessment notes that good regeneration of indigenous species is also present, and that the site has the most diverse and mature indigenous vegetation of the sites where widening is proposed. The Assessment notes that these have been planted.

Assessments made by kaitiaki in the site visit was that the effects of the removal of the vegetation at Site 3 would have a significant effect in that it removes high value vegetation and therefore reduces habitat availability from the Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches. Representatives of Flood Protection also emphasised the point that these trees were planted there and appeared to hold the view that because they were not put there as part of GWRC’s design for the channel, that the effect of removing them was less than had they been planted as part of Flood Protection’s management. TAKW disagrees with this position. Regardless of who planted this patch, it has a clear function in life-supporting capacity for a river corridor and any effects to it must be considered. It is also important to consider its value as native vegetation as opposed to invasive, which will be addressed further in this section.

It’s unclear from the Ecological Assessment what proportion of vegetation to be removed is exotic, invasive or native. Whilst the species present at each site are listed, it’s difficult to ascertain from the report the coverage of different types of species. Some attempt to qualify the proportion of native vegetation to be removed was made by kaitiaki on the walkover. In general, TAKW considers that the adverse effects of the removal of natives is much higher to the removal of exotics, and much higher again to the removal of invasives. There is in fact a likelihood that the removal of invasive species could be considered a positive effect, and so it is particularly important to be able to distinguish the effects of the removal of the different types of habitat. As mentioned earlier in this section, Site 3 of vegetation clearance appears to be highly significant habitat due to it being comprised of highly diverse native species. In assessing the effect of its removal, it is important to be able to qualify how significant the vegetation is in relation to the whole area where works are being proposed. The position of TAKW, based on observations at the site visit, was that the vegetation at Site 3 is one of the sites with the highest values as native habitat in the Waimahoe and Te Rere reaches.

TAKW is also interested in the potential effects of the gravel extraction and changes to the channel geomorphology on the balance of refuge and feeding habitats of freshwater species, in particular to inanga and eels. Refuge and feeding habitats have two distinct types of morphology and TAKW observed on the site visit that there is currently far more habitat for refuge than for feeding in the area of proposed works. It is therefore important to be able to determine what types of habitats are being impacted at the sites where the channel widening is being proposed and ensure that changes or impacts to feeding habitats are minimised.

TAKW therefore requires more information on:  the method used to determine the planting multiplier as determined by Wildlands  the ratio of different vegetation types that is proposed for removal, and what proportion of the total vegetation habitat able is represented by the sites that are proposed to be removed.  What types of habitat exist at the sites that are proposed for gravel extraction, i.e. refuge or feeding?

c. Māramatanga

The effects of the proposed works to māramatanga will be assessed according to the following attributes:  Observation of TAKW values and knowledge in the river system  Underlying science that has informed the plan has been evaluated through practice/examples

In conducting the site visit, TAKW representatives proposed the question to GWRC: Where can they point to expression of TAKW values and knowledge having informed the design of the river channel and having informed what is currently being planned?

TAKW take the position that currently there is very little in the existing design of the river channel that appears to reflect TAKW values, or that suggests that TAKW has been able to inform decision-making on the design to date.

However, it was discussed on the site visit that there may be opportunities to have input into the detailed design of planting of new vegetation, and certainly the ability to provide a CIA in response to draft plans provides TAKW with the opportunity to have input into the new design. This input should be guaranteed in the condition of any consent that is issued. The ability for TAKW to inform the design of the channel could also be assessed by looking at how many of the recommendations made in this CIA are adopted in the final application made to GWRC.

TAKW have also attempted to evaluate the knowledge or design principles that appear to have informed the proposed design, through reading the application and discussing the design with representatives of Flood Protection. It appears that the following principles inform the design being proposed in this application: 1. Location, that the channel follows the desired alignment as determined in the Floodplain Management Plan, 1997 (FMP) 2. Channel width, that the channel is 35 metres wide as recommended in the FMP 3. Protection of assets, that large Flood Protection assets such as stopbanks, rock walls and willows and groynes are all protected 4. Volume of flood flow, that this is limited as much as possible 5. Budget, that the costs of changes to the river are within the annual budget for management of the Waikanae River

TAKW is satisfied with principles 4 and 5 above and the way in which they’ve informed what is being proposed. However, TAKW are concerned that in insistence on achieving 1, 2 and 3, may often not be in the best interests for the values of the river and the communities connected to them. TAKW takes the position that the more meandering and wider channel, is a preferable design for the river channel, and that design should not be attempting to protect features such as groynes and rock walls, if this restricts the ability of the river to follow a more natural course, where that is feasible.

The Waimahoe area as an example of this. Two years ago, the area of land south of the Waimahoe reach of the Waikanae River was purchased by KCDC for reserve. As TAKW had

13 input into the development of that strategy of the plan of the reserve, there are provisions in the plan for the area to be converted into wetland. TAKW is not in favour of attempting to limit the width of the channel and buffer zone in this area purely to achieve the FMP design and protect any assets such as groynes. A better alternative would be to allow the river channel to be wider in this area, and periodically flood the new reserve land. This would have a positive effect on the value of the river system and significantly raise the flood carrying capacity of the Waikanae River, in turn lowering the flood risk posed to the community.

TAKW recognises that issues around how the FMP informs design are perhaps at a larger scale than what can be achieved through the assessment of this consent. However, it is important to consider what alternative activities or designs could achieve the reduced flood risk effect that Flood Protection is aiming for, with better overall effects to the values connected to the river system.

d. Mana

The effects to mana have been assessed in terms of the following attributes:  Access  Flood Risk

TAKW notes that public access in the vicinity of the stopbank construction area or locations for gravel extraction will be closed and restricted at times. It is also noted that the proposed works includes the creation of new public accesses. However, mahinga kai is rotated across different sites in the region and TAKW is able to ensure that there is no need to access food resources in this reach in the period of time within which works take place. Members of the community will also be able to access other parts of the river whilst works are being carried out. There are therefore minimal adverse effects posed by the design to access.

The application explains very clearly how the proposed works will significantly reduce the risk of flooding to the community, therefore protecting their mana. The proposed works therefore appears to have a positive effect on the reduction of flood risk, in the short to immediate term at least.

e. Wairua

The effects of the proposed activities to wairua have been assessed in terms of the following attributes:  Wāhi tapu  Calmness of the river as a recreational space

There are no known wāhi tapu that are effected by the proposed works.

There are some adverse effects of the construction to the calmness of the area of the proposed works and the ability of the community to use the area recreation. These effects are a result of:

 The duration of the works. The construction of the stopbank is estimated to take about 9 months, with a further 12 months for remedial maintenance works, Channel widening is expected to occur over this period of time as well.  The period of time of works. The construction will take place between 7:30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. This means that the effects such as noise will be experienced by neighbours and people who access the river for a significant period of their day. However, from the perspective of TAKW it is preferable to conduct works for more hours of the day if it can limit the total time required for the works.  The construction traffic will use heavy vehicles which will create noise disturbance for users of the river

The effects of the construction on wairua are not highly significant, but should be considered in the overall effect of the works, particularly as the wairua, or ability to experience calmness is a particularly high value that is placed on the Waikanae River, and there are some members that access it for this purpose daily. It is also important to consider that this effect is not limited to the specific reaches where works are to be carried out, but also to adjacent reaches of the river.

f. Whakapapa

The effects of the proposed works on whakapapa have been assessed in terms of the following attributes:  Sites of significance are protected  The integrity of the whole river system

As identified in the previous section, the area of the proposed works covers two sites of significance as scheduled in C2 of the Proposed Natural Resource Plan. Characterising the area of works in this way simply reemphasises that the values as expressed in the previous section of this report are particularly high in comparison to other sites on the river channel.

TAKW is also interested in the cumulative effects the proposed widening will have on the movement of gravel and sediment further downstream. TAKW would like the applicant to provide estimates of the load of gravel that is likely to be moved downstream as a result of works. In particular, the effects to the estuary.

Finally, in assessing the effects of the overarching integrity of the river system across all values, it is apparent that some values are more significantly adversely effected than others:  There are some short-term minimal adverse effects, but some significant short to immediate positive effects posed to the value of mana.  There are some short-term adverse effects to the value of wairua.  There are some concerns about the design upholding māramatanga in terms of the input of TAKW values and knowledge into the design, and some of the principles of the design that are used from the FMP  There are some significant adverse effects of the proposed stopbank works to Te Ao Tūroa and Mauri. These potential effects could be adequately dealt with through some changes to the design and/or mitigation.

However, TAKW would not be able to support the gravel extraction and channel widening being proposed at this stage due to insufficient information to assess the full effect of these works to mauri and Te Ao Tūroa or to determine appropriate mitigation.

It is at least clear from a preliminary assessment that the values of mauri and Te Ao Tūroa are more significantly adversely effected than other values, and in the view of TAKW it is these values that should be targeted through proposed mitigation. Recommendations for appropriate mitigation will be made in the following section.

5. Recommendations

This section will make recommendations as to how TAKW believes the potential effects of the proposed stop bank works can be appropriately mitigated, and what further information should be provided by the applicant.

c. Effects to Wairua

TAKW believes that the effects of the proposed works to wairua, in particular the disturbance of the calm environment in these reaches, could be mitigated by the construction of a ‘nohopuku’ space: a sheltered and quiet space for reflection. The space could be designed to reflect TAKW values and connection to the Waikanae River, and to provide other users of the river with interpretation of the history and value of the river, and to provide information on the tikanga (culturally appropriate practice) on the river. Kaitiaki and others that visit these reaches of the stream would benefit from having access to shelter and a quiet space for reflection. TAKW would like to see the construction of such as a space as a condition of the consent.

d. Effects to Māramatanga

TAKW wishes to propose three ways in which māramatanga can be upheld in terms of TAKW kaitiaki input into the design and construction of the proposed works:

1. TAKW would like to see the use of native vegetation for flood protection trialled in the replanting of the river as a condition of the consent. 2. TAKW have developed a freshwater mahinga kai health index to use for monitoring the health of rivers in their rohe. TAKW would like to see some form of support from GWRC for TAKW to conduct monitoring using this tool on the Waikanae River as a condition of the consent. 3. Participate in a discussion with Kāpiti Coast District Council amount the future management of the ‘Otaraua Reserve’ which is the area on the south bank of the Waimahoe Reach

e. Effects to Mauri and Te Ao Tūroa

As mentioned in Section 4.f. of this report, TAKW is of the view that there is still insufficient information to adequately assess the scale of the effect of the gravel widening and extraction

16 works proposed, particularly those effects on mauri and Te Ao Tūroa. TAKW has requested that the applicant provide further information on:

1. The method used to determine the replanting multiplier. It is not clear to TAKW how the multiplier of two adequately mitigates the effects of vegetation removal, particularly given the amount of time it will take for vegetation of the same structure to re-establish. TAKW also believe that the multiplier currently only mitigates the ecological effects, and got agreeance with representatives from Wildlands and GWRC in a meeting on the 23rd of February that this multiplier doesn’t mitigate the additional cultural and social effects of the removal of the vegetation as described. 2. The ratio of different vegetation types that are proposed for removal, and what proportion this represents of the total area and/or biomass of each of these vegetation types in the reaches. 3. The current extent of good inanga refuge habitat in these reaches and what of those areas of habitat may be effected by vegetation removal and gravel extraction.