Water Resource Use a Matter of Perspective: a Case Study of The

WATER RESOURCE USE A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: A CASE STUDY OF THE KAITUNA RIVER CLAIM, WAITANGI TRIBUNAL a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN GEOGRAPHY in the university of canterbury . by. TIMOTHY W fRASER 1988 contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii LIST OF FIGURES, PLATES AND TABLES v LIST OF MAPS vi ABS1RACT vii CHAPTER PAGE one INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction .............................................. 1 1.2 A Case Study for Bicultural Research ............... .. 6 1.3 Thesis Structure ................................. .. 10 two THE SEWAGE DISPOSAL PROBLEM OF ROTORUA CITY: THE KAITUNA RIVER CLAIM 2.1 Introduction ........................................................ 14 2.2 The Problem ........................................................ 15 2.3 A General Response ........._...................................... 24 2.4. The Kaituna River Claim Waitangi Tribunal.................... 32 2.5 Options Pursued After the Waitangi Tribunal Hearing........ 38 2.6 Concluding Remarks .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... ... 40 three A DOMINANT CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE: THE ENGINEERING SOLUTION 3.1 Introduction ........................................................ 42 3.2 Roots of a Technological Perspective .......................... 43 3.3 Rise of the Engineer .............................................. 47 3.4 Developing a Water Resource Use Strategy ................... 52 ii 3.5 Water and Soil Legislation: 1941 and 1967 ................... 55 3.6 The Dominant Perspective Challenged ......................... 59 3.7 Concluding Remarks ............................................. 62 CHAPTER PAGE four MAORI VALVES AND LEGISLATION 4.1 Introduction ..................................................... 6 4 4.2 Maori Environmental Perspectives ........................... 66 4.3 Ngati Pildao and the Kaituna River .......................... 77 4.4 The Treaty of Waitangi and its Implications ...... :......... 81 4.5 Concluding Remarks ....... ...................... ....... ...... 90 five TOWARDS A BICULTURAL SOLUTION 5.1 Introduction ................................................... 93 5.2 The Claims - A Need for Resolution ..................... .. 94 5.3 The Manukau Claim ......................................... 99 5.4 Te Atiawa Claim ............................................. 103 5.5 A Solution at the Regional Level ........................... 107 5.6 Concluding Remarks 110 six CONCLUSION 6.1 Summary ........................................................ 113 6.2 Concluding Remarks ................................ .......... 116 references 117 glossary 125 appendices 127 iii acknowledgements There are many people of whom I wish to express my sincerest thanks. Firstly and certainly not least, to my Supervisor, Dr Eric Pawson who provided not only expert guidence on a "Beginners Guide to Thesis Writing", but also more than a few beers during the year. Cheers Eric! The Masters thesis is not so much a culmination of two years work, but of an entire University education. I take this opportunity to express my thanks especially to Bob Kirk who has been a valued friend and mentor during my six years with the Geography Department. My thanks go also to other staff members, Prof. Jane Soans especially, who has I don't think, ever received an assignment on time from this student. A special thanks must go to the technicians who have often been there when help was needed. The thesis research would not have been possible without the help of many people. Stephanie Morriss and Siobahn McNulty ., .. who 'put me up' over the summer - my thanks for your support, encouragement and kindness which cannot be adequately expressed on paper. For all those people in Whakatane (especially : ·, · · the District Council, Parks and Rec. Dept.), many t~anks for a summer full of memories. I wish to especially acknowledge the Bay of Plenty Catchment Commission (now Board) who not only provided tea and biscuits, photocopying, and Friday night drinks but also with a seat in the Board Room and unlimited access to their files on the Kaituna River claim. To Jeff Jones, Don, Shirley, Norm, Kerry and all the staff - a big thanks. I would also like to express my thanks to Evelyn Stokes of Waikato University who, with a few timely remarks provided a better focus to the thesis. Similarly I would also like to thank Mr Stan Newton of Ngati Pikiao for his sage words to a young researcher. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Canterbury Geographical Society for the Geography Society's grant. It came at a time when it was most needed. I would also like to thank the 'faceless' though no less important (Miss) J. G Thurman "for Acting Director - General of Education" who after much correspondance, came to see it 'my way' and provided this student with a hardship grant . And not in an entirely unrelated way I wish to thank my parents and brothers for all their moral and financial support, encouragement and more often than not the usual Sunday night iv 'debate' which provided a breeding ground for many ideas. Although not said nearly often enough, thanks for all the love and support you have given over the years. And while on the subject of families, a huge thanks to my Uncle and Aunt, Mike and Jenny Collins along with Bill, Val and Peter Irving, who fed, housed and provided full employment for me over many summers in Kurow. Last , but no means forgotten, to my collegues with whom I have shared a year of 'self improvement'. To Angelique, Inge and Juliet may it never be as hard as this year has been. To Andrew, Ian and Helen, your friendship and love will never be forgotten. A final thanks to Liz Nichols for aiding this struggling typist, John Benn who gave some of his drafting talent when the guillotine was about to come down, and Russell Kirkpatrick who had the unenviable task of checking my spelling. Finally in the, words of Barbara Kennedy, A Naughty World: "Never mind the quality, feel the width" v figures PAGE Figure 3.1 Water and Soil Conservation Administration in New Zealand prior to 1988 ................................................. 60 Figure 4.1 Traditional Maori Resource Management System and its bases with spiritual relationships with gods, natural world and humans .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ........................... 70 Figure 5.1 Range of Options for legislation ............. ......... ........... ... 97 tables Table 2.1 A Method of Wastewater Treatment and Receiving Waters for principal towns of New Zealand ....................... 19 plates Plate I Looking from State Highway 33 to Ohau Channel ............ .. 17 Plate II Trout Pools below Okere Falls ................................... 17 vi maps Map 1.1 Location Map .. ........ ... .................................... .. ... .. 2 Map 1.2 Location of Claims . .. ... ...... .. .. .. .......... ... .... .. .............. 5 Map 2.1 Main Water System of Rotorua and Kaituna Catchments ............................................................ 16 Map 2.2 Reticulated Areas 1947 .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. ... .. 22 Map 5.1 Manukau Harbour .................................................... 100 Map 5.2 Taranaki Coast ........................................................ 104 abstract The thesis investigates how a Pakeha cultural perspective came to dominate water resource use and management to the exclusion of Maori spiritual and cultural values. This thesis examines through a case study of the Kaituna River claim, how in solving Rotorua's sewage disposal problems, why only the values of the Pakeha culture were considered. With increasing attention being focused on the development of bicultural policies for resource management, the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal provide a useful starting point. The claim by N gati Pikiao challenges the underlying philosophy of water resource management held by the dominant culture. The roots of the Pakeha perspective are outlined together with a resource management world view of the Maori. By so doing, it will be shown that traditional Maori and present Pakeha values are complementary. The findings of the Kaituna River claim show that it is possible to resolve problems in a bicultural fashion and this may have important implications for the future. New legislation, such as the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986, the Environment Act 1986, and the Conservation Act 1987 are now required to take the Treaty of Waitangi into account therefore ensuring that Maori values will be accounted for in legislation. It is pertinent, therefore, to examine those values held by Pakeha in relation to water resource use so that the problems of the past, such as those illustrated in the Kaituna River claim may provide alternative solutions for future resource management problems. 1 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 INTRODUCTION In 1978, Rotorua City and its related effluent disposal problems became the focus of a claim put before the Waitangi Tribunal by a local Maori tribe, Ngati Pikiao. It was claimed that a proposal to transfer the discharge of Rotorua City's treated effluent from Lake Rotorua to the Kaituna River was in direct contravention to Maori spiritual and cultural values (see Map 1.1). The findings of the Waitangi Tribunal regarding the claim by Ngati Pikiao has particular relevance to water resource use and management given the present situation with the current Labour Government embarking on widespread economic, social and environmental reforms. It is the intention of this thesis therefore, through

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