Annual Report
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TON 9672 Ad AR Cover v3 3/3/05 10:00 AM Page 2 ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2004 TON 9672 Ad AR Cover v3 3/3/05 10:00 AM Page 3 Contents CoMMITTEE 2004 .............................................................. ............................................... PAGE 1 Notice of and Agenda for the Bruce Coldicutt Third Annual General Meeting Mark Cosgrove PRESIDENT 2 The Annual Report and Financial Statement Graeme Duff APPENDICES Bob Duckworth Richard Kemp 10 The Flood of 29 February 2004 Will Kemp 11 Advocates’ Seminars Heather Macdonald VICE PRESIDENT 11 Glenn Maclean, “The Biology of Gillian Osborne SECRETARY Trout in the Tongariro River” Peter Smith 15 Paul Williams, “The Tongariro River and its Sylvia Smith Management: Lessons from the River” Eric Wilson TREASURER 19 Political Action, a Meeting with Ministers Tuatea Smallman 23 Department of Conservation Response 25 Resource Consents Later, Gill Osborne resigned as Secretary 25 The Tongariro Power Development Scheme and remained on the Committee; 26 Joan Forret, “Notes on the Genesis Energy Eric Wilson took on the role of Secretary- Environment Court Decision” Treasurer. Tuatea Smallman accepted the 29 The Tongariro River Works. role of Kaumatua. Bob Duckworth and Will Kemp resigned. Helen Elliott joined 30 Advocates’ Submission on the TDC and the Committee on occasions and EW Resource Consents Applications prepared and presented a paper on 31 Press Release from EW recreational promotion to the Taupo 33 Advocates’ Press release and Discussion District Council. Bob Appleton was Paper, “Towards a Resource-User Funding appointed by the Minister of Conservation Model for River Restoration” to represent The Advocates on the Taupo 44 Keystone Ideas for a Tongariro River Fishery Advisory Committee. Management Plan 46 Helen Elliott, “Submission on the Long-Term ................................................. Council-Community Plan, 2004-2014” Walkways Suggestions and Ideas Presented 52 The Registered Office of to the Taupo District Council’s Roadshow The Advocates for the Tongariro River on Recreation Incorporated is care of 56 DoC Resonse, “Towards a Better Network of 213 Taupahi Road, Turangi. Visitors Facilities” The postal address is 58 Press Release (Hon Jim Sutton) on the P O Box 335 Turangi 2751. Government’s Resonse to the Acland Report” www.tongariroriver.co.nz 61 Maori Land Amendment and Maori Land Claims Adjustment Act 1926 ................................................. 67 Sylvia Smith, “Advocacy Groups on the Internet” Photos: Aerial photos courtesy of Rob McLay. 69 Rules of the Advocates for the Tongariro Other photos by Michael Cosgrove and River Incorporated Mark Cosgrove. TON 9672 Ad Annual Report v3 3/3/05 10:03 AM Page 1 ADVOCATES FOR THE TONGARIRO RIVER INCORPORATED ......................................................................................................................................................................................... NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Third Annual Meeting of The Advocates for the Tongariro River Incorporated will be held at the Tongariro River Bridge Fishing Resort, State Highway 1, Turangi on Sunday 27 March 2005 at 4.00 pm. Preceding the annual meeting Mr Graeme Nahkies will lead a seminar which will outline strategies with which The Advocates might advance the cause of restoration and ongoing management of the Tongariro River. Mr Nahkies, an Advocate, has been CEO of Environment Waikato and Hutt Valley Health and now operates a consultancy which focuses on processes in implementing plans. ≈ AGENDA The business of the Annual General Meeting will be to: 1. Record those present and note apologies. 2. Receive the minutes of the second Annual General Meeting held on 11 April 2004. 3. Receive the President’s Report and to approve the Financial Statement. 4. Consider any motions of which due notice has been provided. (The full Rules of the Society are printed in this Report). 5. Appoint an Executive Committee comprising a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer (or a secretary-treasurer), and committee members. 6. Consider any other matters. At the conclusion of the meeting members are invited to afternoon tea at the Tongariro Bridge Fishing Resort. 1 TON 9672 Ad Annual Report v3 3/3/05 10:03 AM Page 2 ADVOCATES FOR THE TONGARIRO RIVER INCORPORATED ......................................................................................................................................................................................... The Third Annual Report The Advocates for the Tongariro River aim to be recognised as an informed, balanced and authoritative group seeking to sustain and enhance the Tongariro River for future generations. This Report is an account of the steps taken towards this aim in 2004. In 2004, this advocacy role continues to take on a distinctly political slant, through • participating in the Tongariro River Management Forum, and the development of a Strategic Management Plan for this river • convening a public meeting in the aftermath of a damaging flood on 29 February and the reporting of that meeting to Government Ministers • representing the Taupo District in the TrustPower National Community Awards in Blenheim • appealing some aspects of the Taupo District Council’s draft District Plan concerning natural values and subsequently taking part in mediation under the aegis of the Environment Court, and developing a proposal for the protection of notable trees • lobbying Ministers and the co-leader of the Green Party with a proposal for funding river restoration costs • continuing to present seminars aimed at clarifying the science of the river • proposing recreational developments near the Tongariro and at the head of the lake to the Taupo District Council on two occasions; first as part of that Council’s development of its Long Term Council Community Plan and second, as a contribution to the Council’s recreational initiatives • publicising contributions through press releases and on the website • reporting to members through the 2003 Annual Report, Newsletter The Advocate 4 and by e-mail. This, the third Annual Report, will be set out in two sections; the first deals with the way these activities tie in with a strategic plan (published in The Annual Report 2003). The second part is a collection of papers which support the points made in the first section. 2 TON 9672 Ad Annual Report v3 3/3/05 10:03 AM Page 3 ADVOCATES FOR THE TONGARIRO RIVER INCORPORATED ......................................................................................................................................................................................... To have widespread public awareness of the Tongariro River’s past glories, its present state as effected by the power schemes and neglect and the potential future degradation if remedial action is not taken. A comprehensive Annual Report has been sent to members covering the Society’s actions in 2002, 2003 and 2004 (this Report). These Reports are the principal way of approaching this goal, providing an almanac of relevant articles and documents (for example, in the 2003 Report, the 1992 Deed of Agreement between the Ngati Tuwharetoa Trust Board and the Crown; in 2004 a transcript of the 1926 Act). One newsletter was sent in October (The Advocate 4). Several press releases were released in local papers, and one resulted in a major article in The DomPost. Two seminars were presented to well-attended meetings of members and the public. To ensure the promises made by central and local government and power companies in respect of doing least harm to the Tongariro River are kept. Lobbying to improve river management and against further exploitation of the river and against any failure to keep promises is an ongoing and sometimes unrequited activity. It is clear that the Government is in denial about the damage done in the construction stages and subsequently; its person-on-the-spot, the local member, Hon Mark Burton MP, has reacted to The Advocates’ well-documented case-histories of promises, inaction and duplicity on the Government’s side with politeness but with no other perceivable response or effect. The Hon. Mark Burton is perfectly located to take action, as he is a senior Minister with relevant portfolios (Tourism and State-Owned Enterprises) as well as being the local electorate Member of Parliament, but despite continuous requests there has been little action in redressing the historical grievances citizens feel about the effects on the river of the Tongariro Power Development Scheme. It is important to understand what The Advocates propose. The Advocates’ approach is not just to lambaste the Government relentlessly. The damage has been done and the real task is to offset that damage. The Advocates position is that this once-great river, and many others, suffer from industrial processes and urbanisation. These rivers need fixing. The costs involved should come from the industries, either in the form of a cut from the 3 TON 9672 Ad Annual Report v3 3/3/05 10:03 AM Page 4 ADVOCATES FOR THE TONGARIRO RIVER INCORPORATED ......................................................................................................................................................................................... industry’s profits or, and more likely, through a levy on the use of that resource. That suggestion has been put to the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises, who expressed some interest. The Minister for the Environment expressed