Watercare River Water Take Application

Submission Reference no: 81

Te Tokanganui-a-noho Regional Management Committee (TTRMC) and Hauauru Ki Uta Regional Management Committee (HKURMC) (Wayne Jensen)

Submitter Type: Not specified Source: Email

Overall Notes:

Clause What are you submitting on? You can submit on specific parts of the application or the application as a whole. Position The whole Watercare application Notes

Clause My submission on the Watercare application is that (please select one): Position I support it (or specific parts of it) Notes

Clause Do you wish to be heard in support of your submission? All submissions will be considered by the Board of Inquiry, but please indicate if you wish to heard in support of your submission. Position I wish to be heard in support of my submission Notes From: wayne jensen To: watercareapplication Cc: Subject: Maniapoto RMC Submission to Watercare Watertake Application Date: Friday, 26 March 2021 2:10:05 pm Attachments: Submission TTRMC HKURMC.docx Submission TTRMC HKURMC.pdf

Kia ora

Find attached submission from Maniapoto RMC’s to the Water-take Application by Watercare from Waikato River

Regards Wayne Jensen

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26/03/2021

Submission on the Watercare Waikato River Water Take Application

Te Tokanganui-a-noho Regional Management Committee (TTRMC) and Hauauru Ki Uta Regional Management Committee (HKURMC) - Joint Submission on the Water Take application by Watercare of 150,000cu/m3 from the Waikato River.

As submitters our definition and purpose as a group resides in part within section 8 of the Maniapoto Maori Trust Board (MMTB) Act 1988. We submit in full acknowledgement of the connection between all Maniapoto RMC’s people, and the waterways which connect and bind our people together, from the hills to the sea similarly to Whakapapa. We are collectives of Marae and Papakainga aligned to Maniapoto whakapapa and based regionally within our Traditional Rohe. The course the water takes, binds mana whenua groups along its tributaries to the responsibilities inherent in its Mauri (wellbeing) to enhance and protect its life-giving forces as kaitiaki.

The rohe as given of indicative boundaries are Raukumara in the north to Waipingao Stream and in the south and the Wharepuhunga and Hauhungaroa ranges in the east. This is indicative rather than definitive, and is the area that the RMC’s use as a reference point. In this respect we as RMC’s acknowledge our connection and formal existence to MMTB.

We acknowledge Watercare for meeting with us via web host platform (Teams) on the 16th of March 2021. We are directly affected by adverse effects generated (in part) by this application. We were able to share our concerns as follows;

1. Lack of recognition of Nga Wai o Maniapoto (NWOM) and the volume of water that comes from the Waipa into the Waikato from Maniapoto. Whilst we recognise that the take is from the Waikato river at . A significant contribution of water comes from the Waipa at Ngaruawahia. The detail in relation to the available water allocation as per Variation 6 (V6) pre and post is unknown to us. Therefore, our concern is future use opportunities. We want to ensure we (Tāngata whenua/Mana whenua) and general public who wanted to apply for a water permit in the future are not affected bearing in mind climate change and potential implications for available volume for future use and development regard water allocation.

2. Kaitiakitanga responsibilities were acknowledged as being in a state of inequity and disadvantage for kaitiaki advocates when it comes to comparatives of engagement between Maori/Crown appointed parties inside current systemic processes. Many kaitiaki are operating from a volunteer or semi-volunteer platform.

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3. Education on Water conservation is an imperative, again as kaitiaki we perceive gaps within genuine Partnership opportunities which should be assisted through improved support for Kairiaki functions including for proliferating support systems for administration, education, research combined with implementation of opportunities for engagement quality improvement and follow on mitigations.

4. We acknowledged that the agreement (Kawenata) between Watercare and Te Whakakitenga (Waikato) acknowledged the mana which exists between the Tāngata whenua and Mana whenua collectives along the Waikato but could not have been attributed to Maniapoto and the Waipa due to no meaningful engagement between parties prior to the meeting on 16 March 2021.

5. There has been no input from a Nga Wai o Maniapoto ( ACT 2012) perspective. We acknowledge that Water Care have agreed to include reference to flow/volume contribution from the Waipa River to the Waikato River. We believe it is important to note connection between NPS and RPS district plans, regional plans and relationships of Tāngata whenua with the environment. Schedule 1 and 2 of NWOM have supporting information for submitter considerations for Tāngata whenua. Including enhancing economic, social, cultural, and spiritual relationships.

6. We acknowledge that Water Care checked their Kawenata and the draft trust document finding neither documents preclude applications/projects to be made to the trust for restoration in the Waipa River catchment. Their work is noted. However, it is not mana enhancing to be identified and described inside a second retrospective thought and in fact is a transgression according to Tikanga Māori. There is much to be learnt from the Waikato River Authority journey and the Vision and Strategy seizing on potential to support community development including analysis of the processes and Partnership relationships which saw its introduction.

7. Maniapoto RMC’s have aspirations to be able to engage with not only this application but others supporting kaitiaki functions using scale of large applications like this to ensure benefits for communities, tāngata whenua and Mana whenua. Supporting those connected to tributaries and supporting land bodies that awhi their health and flow, now and in the future ensuring protection for communities of people including both pre and post settlement Iwi, for development and wellbeing. Our submission is focussed on the water take side of the application. We are not in opposition to other aspects of the application it is not appropriate for us to.

We wish to be heard in respect to our submission. We support the application if it can specifically address our concerns. We submit in relation to the cumulative effect of water take from our waterways which have been imposed on Tāngata Whenua, Mana whenua and regional community groups without due consideration for impingements on current and future development.

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There is a body of evidence which sits with the to attest to the way Tāngata whenua and Mana whenua have been divested of Kaitiaki functions and controls over time inside land and water asset issues. Land and water are inextricable connected.

To be sent to: Environmental Protection Authority Email: [email protected] Watercare Services Limited Email: [email protected]

Written for Submission by Weo Maag – Ronnie Gray and

Wayne Jensen

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