1 IMAGE CREDITS Cover image: Charles Blomfield. Orakei Korako on the Waikato 1885. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Registration No 1994-0012-1 Historic photographs of Orākei Kōrako Ngāwhā p 26: Courtesy of Trevor Hunt Photograph of Aratiatia Rapids p 90: Aratiatia Rapids 25025; Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, University of Otago. Copy negative No. c/nE6143/26. Photograph of Orākei Kōrako p 46-47: Whites Aviation Ltd : Photographs. Orakei Korako [Geyserland]. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. Ref: WA-62646-G Historical painting on p 5: Charles Barraud. Orakei Korako 1877. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. Accession No 1985/53/1 2 3 Ngāti Tahu- Ngāti Whaoa Iwi Environmental Management Plan PART I : TIROHANGA WHĀNUI Overview PART II: NGA TAONGA O TAIAO Treasured resources 2 3 CONTENTS PART I : TIROHANGA WHĀNUI - OVERVIEW Mihi ........................................................................................................................ 6 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 8 Statements of support ............................................................................................... 9 Foreword ................................................................................................................ 11 Whakatakinga – Introduction ..................................................................................... 12 How this plan was developed ................................................................................. 12 Who should use this plan ....................................................................................... 13 How this document is set out ................................................................................. 13 Mana whenua – Land: our authority ............................................................................14 Our rohe ..............................................................................................................14 Overview of environmental features of our rohe ........................................................18 History of the iwi and resources ..............................................................................22 Modification of the Waikato River and geothermal resources ...................................... 26 Current land ownership .........................................................................................28 Co-management of the Waikato River ......................................................................28 Pūmanawa, whakangākautanga, uara - Vision, aspirations, values ..................................32 Pūmanawa -Vision .................................................................................................33 Whakangākautanga - Aspirations ............................................................................33 Uara - Values ........................................................................................................34 Hei mahi – Actions ...................................................................................................35 Summary of resource condition and opportunities .....................................................35 Current projects and partnerships ...........................................................................38 Ara: Approaches and actions to strengthen resource management across the rohe ....... 40 Tātaritanga me te āta mātaki - Review and monitoring for this plan ................................ 44 Monitoring .......................................................................................................... 44 Review ................................................................................................................45 5 PART II: NGA TAONGA O TAIAO - TREASURED RESOURCES Whakatakinga - Introduction to Part II ........................................................................ 49 Koiora – Terrestrial flora and fauna – (plants and animals) ............................................ 50 Ngāwhā - Geothermal ...............................................................................................61 Ngā marae me ngā wāhi hiranga – Marae, significant sites and wāhi tapu .........................72 Whenua – Land and land use .....................................................................................75 Mahi ngahere – Forestry ........................................................................................... 84 Rangi – Air and atmosphere ...................................................................................... 88 Wai – Lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and aquatic life ................................................90 Appendix 1 – Consents and monitoring ...................................................................... 110 Appendix 2 – Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River/ Te Ture Whaimana .....................112 5 Mihi Composer, Uncle Dan MIHI Nō Ihowa te whenua, me ōna tini mea, The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness te ao, me ngā tāngata e noho ana i runga. thereof: the world, and they that dwell therein. Nā, ka tango a Ihowa, te Atua, i te tangata, Then the LORD God took man a, whakanohoia ia ki te whenua, and put him on the land, hei ngaki, hei tiaki hoki i reira. to tend and keep it. Ngā maumahara aroha, Loving memories, mō ngā tini aituā kua wheturangitia. of the many who have been immortalised. Kua wehe atu rātou i tēnei ao hurihuri They have departed this ever-changing world ki te ao mārama. to the world of light. No reira ngā mate huhua, Therefore to the many departed, haere, haere, haere atu rā. thrice farewell. He mihi ki ngā mātāwaka, ngā mana, Greetings to the tribes, authorities, ngā kaitiaki rawa taiao, custodians of environmental resources, me ngā poutiriao o Papatūānuku. and guardians of Mother Earth. Tēnā koutou katoa. Acknowledgement to all. 6 7 He tūroa te hononga matatau o te Māori ki te whenua, moana, Māori had an enduring and intimate association with the land, me nga wai kaimata, mai rā nō. He hononga ngātahi ā wairua ā sea, and fresh waters since time immemorial. That connection tinana hoki. I whakaratoa e Papatūānuku te is both physical and spiritual. Mother Earth provided unity and kotahitanga me te ahurei ki tana iwi. uniqueness to her people. Kāhore he whakaarotanga o te Māori onamata mō te tino Early Māori society did not have a concept of absolute rangatiratanga o ngā whenua, kore rawa hoki te kotahi i ownership of land, and certainly, no individual owned land. The whai whenua. Mā ngā rawa noa, ka manaakitia ai te oranga natural resources were the means of sustaining the collective kotahitanga o te katoa. I mua i te paunga o ngā rawa, livelihood of all. Before depletion of a resource, a “ban” would be ka whakatakotoria he “rāhui” ki tēnā wāhi, placed on that area until sustainability was again realised. tae noa ki te wā whai auroa ai anō. Then there is the concept of having one’s place to stand. In the Huri atu ki te whakaarotanga mō te whai wāhi tūranga. Māori world view, much of life is about finding one’s foundation I te tirohanga aowhanui o te Māori, ko te nuinga o te koiora e and position in the world. rapu ana tētahi ki tōna tūranga me tōna wāhi i roto i tēnei ao. This was traditionally expressed through a people’s relationship I whakapuaki tikangatia mā roto i te hononga o te iwi ki ngā with particular places, such as a mountain, a range, a river, or a wāhi ake, pēnā ki te maunga, pae, awa, roto rānei. lake. Mā tēnei rongo ka whiwhi ai ngā iwi ā rohe i te ngākau mōhio This report will give communities a better understanding of the mō te āhua takoto o ō tātou rawa, ā, me pēhea te whaihanga state of our resources and how better to deal with problems that mō ngā raruraru kua ara ake. Mēnā kei te ora tonu te taiao, may have arisen. Where the environment is healthy, this then must nā, me mau tonu ki tēnā āhuatanga. be maintained. Ka whai atu nei ngā mihi ki a rātou, nā rātou nei, i whakarato te Following below are the acknowledgements to those, the mātauranga me te tautoko mō tēnei kaupapa. individuals, who have provided knowledge and support for this project. Tēnā tātou katoa. TH Fraser Greetings to all. TH Fraser 6 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people and organisations have played a part in producing this Iwi Environmental Management Plan. Iwi members contributed their time, thoughts and creativity, both as participants and as ringawera at the series of hui held to gather iwi views. A special mihi goes to the tamariki and those who encouraged them through art and activities to express their ideas about the taonga of the iwi. We are grateful for the guidance of kaumātua and rūnanga members who provided input and feedback, including recollections from their own life experience. The staff of the Ngāti Tahu-Ngāti Whaoa Rūnanga Trust worked hard coordinating, organising, administering and participating in the process. Funding for the project came through Te Arawa River Iwi Trust, whose staff also provided ongoing support and feedback. We acknowledge the input of staff from the Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council. Staff from these agencies attended hui to dialogue with the iwi, fed in useful information and reviewed a draft of the plan. Personnel from Hancock Forest Management, Tutukau East Z Trust and Tauhara North No 2 Trust also attended hui and/ or provided information for project case studies. Waikato Regional Council made a further contribution through valuable GIS support, creating a series of