Iwi files court action against minister, DOC over Ruapehu ski fields
A central North Island iwi has filed court action against Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka and the Department of Conservation (DOC) over concession made to the commercial operators of Tūroa and Whakapapa ski fields on Ruapehu.
The iwi, Te Patutokotoko, alleges the Crown failed their legal obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi by failing to engage with them and actively protect their interests in their ancestral maunga by continuing to deal with private owners over them.
Lead claimant Te Kurataiaha Te Wanikau Tūroa told RNZ the the iwi has been looking for a solution to the issue for years, but was "shrugged off no matter what plan we put forward".
Tūroa said the iwi had spoken directly to the minister about their concerns.
"We actually put in an interest for Whakapapa 18 months back, we got right to the end of it... the Crown just shut us off at the 12th hour.
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"It was a let down. But we didn't cry. We just carried on. That's what we're doing," Tūroa said.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. (Source: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone)
Earlier this year, Whakapapa Holdings Limited and Pure Tūroa were granted 10-year concessions by DOC to operate the north and south sides of the maunga respectively.
The previous owner went into receivership in 2022 and the successful bid by the private companies came as a relief to Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton who said the ski fields were vital to the district's economy.
Te Kurataiaha Te Wanikau Tūroa said he did not want the companies to be kicked off the mountain, but wanted the iwi to have more say on how the maunga was operated.
"It's an activity that our people, and New Zealanders, and foreigners come to do. It just needs to be run better.
"We still have no coexistence with iwi our people in this, and that's where the breakdown is," Tūroa said.
In a statement, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said it would not be appropriate to comment as the matter was before the courts.
rnz.co.nz
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