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INSIDE THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACT A TAINUI CASE STUDY by Angeline Ngahina Greensill A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Social Science 2010 ABSTRACT Under the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991 councils are required to promote the sustainable management of physical and natural resources within their respective areas. In carrying out their duties, councils are obliged to recognise and provide for the relationship of Māori with their culture, traditions, lands, waters and other taonga. They are also required to have regard to kaitiakitanga, and to take into account the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi when making decisions. This thesis focuses on the RMA experiences of Tainui, a hapū in Whaingaroa. It sets out to prove that in the last 19 years, since the enactment of the RMA, Waikato councils have failed to honour these obligations to Tainui. While the RMA specifically provides for Māori interests, in reality those interests are contested and eroded by decision makers who write and enforce rules which inequitably affect Māori relationships with land and other taonga. The thesis engages multiple theories and methodologies including Kaupapa Māori, critical theory, autobiography, and a longitudinal case study to expose personal experiences that bring the realities of planning impacts on Tainui to life. The fact that Tainui has successfully appealed several council decisions to the Environment Court indicates that councils are failing to meet their obligations as laid out in the legislation. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As a Māori, mother, grandmother, hapū advocate, full time lecturer and student I found it extremely difficult to manage time, fulfil whanau and hapū responsibilities, and complete this thesis. I could not have done it without the support of a number of people. Thanks Dad for instilling in me the principles of mahi, manaaki and dedication to Te Ao Turoa. Thanks Mum for encouraging me to resist injustice and to question those whose actions adversely affect our current and future generations. John and Robyn I applaud your patience, tolerance and unspoken support for my efforts to finish a journey I started four years ago. Your advice was needed and appreciated. Finding time to write in a different way, autobiographically, was challenging. I am not sure that I actually succeeded but I enjoyed grappling with ideas, and with trying to write in a way that would satisfy the academy, while at the same time satisfying the needs of my hapū to have research that is relevant, accessible and easily understood. The three day writing retreat into a silent space at Whaingaroa allowed me to refocus and recall narratives hidden within the deepest recesses of my mind. Nga mihi nui kia koe Linda me nga kaimahi PVC Māori for the time out. The only negative was, I lost my USB stick and had to start again! Pippa, Annette and Malibu thanks for your friendship, interest and encouragement to finish. I finally did it, a bit late, but I finished. My last words are to my hoa rangatira Alan, and whanau especially Hautai and Aaron. Thanks for the meals, sound advice and willingness to help. As always I appreciate your unconditional support and love and dedicate this thesis to you all. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................ iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................. iv TABLE OF FIGURES ................................................................................ vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................... viii PREFACE .................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER 1 WHAINGAROA - OUR PLACE ............................................ 1 Whaingaroa................................................................................................ 5 Tainui ....................................................................................................... 12 Ko Wai Au? .............................................................................................. 14 Summary ................................................................................................. 15 CHAPTER 2 HE AHA TE KAUPAPA? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE? ...... 16 Resource Management Act ..................................................................... 17 Research Question .................................................................................. 18 Significance of the Study ......................................................................... 20 Context .................................................................................................... 21 Why this Topic? ....................................................................................... 22 RMA Reality Today .................................................................................. 22 Structure of the Thesis ............................................................................. 24 Summary ................................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 3 INFLUENTIAL IDEAS ........................................................ 26 Introduction .............................................................................................. 26 Kaupapa Māori ......................................................................................... 26 Mana Wahine ........................................................................................... 31 Environmental Racism ............................................................................. 32 Modernity ................................................................................................. 33 iv Positivism ................................................................................................. 35 Critical Theory .......................................................................................... 37 Anti - Colonial Theory .............................................................................. 39 Summary ................................................................................................. 40 CHAPTER 4 LOOKING FROM THE INSIDE OUT .................................. 41 Introduction .............................................................................................. 41 Method ..................................................................................................... 44 Case Study .............................................................................................. 45 Summary ................................................................................................. 46 CHAPTER 5 19 YEARS OF PAPER WARS .......................................... 47 Introduction .............................................................................................. 47 Waikato District Council Submissions and Plans ..................................... 48 Provisions of the RMA ............................................................................. 51 The Case Studies .................................................................................... 53 CASE 1: Tainui Hapū v Waikato Regional Council .................................. 55 CASE 2: Tainui Hapū Anors v Waikato District Council .......................... 63 CASE 3: Greensill Anors v Waikato Regional Council ............................ 71 CHAPTER 6 FINDINGS FROM CASES EXAMINED ............................. 76 Introduction .............................................................................................. 76 Part 2 Obligations .................................................................................... 76 Relationships with Land and other Taonga .............................................. 77 Relationships - Treaty of Waitangi ........................................................... 78 Wastewater .............................................................................................. 79 TV3 .......................................................................................................... 81 Marine Farm............................................................................................. 81 Themes .................................................................................................... 83 Colonial Thinking and Racism.................................................................. 83 v Planning Reports ..................................................................................... 84 Western Trained ‗Experts‘ .......................................................................