Latest news with #PoutiniNgāiTahu


Scoop
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Revamped Agreement Spells Out Iwi Role In Resource Consenting
West Coast Regional Councillors are voting today on an updated version of their historic agreement with iwi to work together for the benefit of the Coast. The Mana Whakahono a Rohe document is recognised under the Resource Management Act and spells out how the council will collaborate with the region's two rūnanga, Ngati Waewae and Makaawhio on issues including wastewater, drinking water, planning and flood protection. The revised version clarifies and strengthens the role of manawhenua in resource consenting and has drawn objections from the council's former chair Cr Allan Birchfield who first signed the document in 2020. Cr Birchfield has argued that the intention was to consult the rūnanga on matters important to them, rather than require their approval for every resource consent, which he claims is happening now. The original agreement says the council will process resource consents in a way that appropriately recognises the effects of activities on Poutini Ngāi Tahu. The revised clause goes further. 'The parties agree that to ensure timely, efficient and cost-effective resource consent processing, applicants and planners must both recognise and provide for the rights, interests and values of Poutini Ngāi Tahu as manawhenua.' That is consistent with the principles of the Resource Management Act (RMA), the draft says. 'As such, the council will treat Poutini Ngāi Tahu as an affected party for all applications for resource consent where there is potential for adverse cultural effects, unless it is demonstrated otherwise.' A new clause, added to the agreement, states that the Council will strongly encourage consent applicants to consult the rūnanga early on, through their environmental entities, Poutini Environmental or Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu. 'Where consultation has not occurred, and a written approval letter has not been supplied, the Council will need to consider limited notification ... to Poutini Ngāi Tahu which can result in increased processing time and costs for applicants." The draft also spells out how the Council will support monitoring by manawhenua. 'Achieving a culturally relevant monitoring programme will require dedicated and consistent resourcing for Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu Limited ... a specific funding agreement dedicated to environmental cultural monitoring will be needed before this programme can commence." WCRC chief executive Darryl Lew said last month the agreement and its protocol document, Paetae Kotahitanga ki Te Tai Poutini, were still fit for purpose and needed only minor changes. Because the council had been through some turbulent times with changes of leadership, key pieces of work had not been done including its practical implementation and the five year review was the opportunity to do that, he said. Cr Birchfield has argued that the agreement effectively gives iwi a sign-off right that was not intended by the RMA and has added to the delays and costs of obtaining resource consents on the West Coast. In a supplied statement he said the changes were far from minor. 'The role of Ngāi Tahu is strengthened to having, effectively, the same functions and powers as local government in certain areas.' However, Ngāi Tahu was not accountable to West Coasters in the same way as local government was, Mr Birchfield said. A particular issue in the agreement was the use of the term, "joint planning' which elevated Ngāi Tahu to the same level as the council, Mr Birchfield said. The changed proposal moved the region towards co-governance, and if Ngāi Tahu were to have a greater role in regional government, West Coast electors should be consulted on the changes by way of a referendum, Cr Birchfield said. The Regional Council says the changed wording in the agreement confers no additional powers on Ngāi Tahu but clarifies the existing rights of manawhenua under the RMA and the Treaty of Waitangi, and operational processes for council staff. During a meeting in May, Ngāti Waewae representative Francois Tumahai defended the iwi's current role in resource consenting. Tumahai said the rūnanga were required to give feedback on consent conditions. 'The decision is still made by the consents team on council. We don't make a decision on it,' The new document with the changes outlined, is available on the WCRC website in the agenda for today's council meeting. The Council this morning agreed to hold some clauses over for further advice and clarity, and the meeting continues this afternoon.


Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Revamped deal spells out iwi role in resource consenting
The revised version clarifies and strengthens the role of manawhenua in resource consenting and has drawn objections from the council's former chair Cr Allan Birchfield who first signed the document in 2020. Cr Birchfield has argued that the intention was to consult the rūnanga on matters important to them, rather than require their approval for every resource consent, which he claims is happening now. The original agreement says the council will process resource consents in a way that appropriately recognises the effects of activities on Poutini Ngāi Tahu. The revised clause goes further. 'The parties agree that to ensure timely, efficient and cost-effective resource consent processing, applicants and planners must both recognise and provide for the rights, interests and values of Poutini Ngāi Tahu as manawhenua.' That is consistent with the principles of the Resource Management Act (RMA), the draft says. 'As such, the council will treat Poutini Ngāi Tahu as an affected party for all applications for resource consent where there is potential for adverse cultural effects, unless it is demonstrated otherwise.' A new clause, added to the agreement, states that the Council will strongly encourage consent applicants to consult the rūnanga early on, through their environmental entities, Poutini Environmental or Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu. 'Where consultation has not occurred, and a written approval letter has not been supplied, the Council will need to consider limited notification ... to Poutini Ngāi Tahu which can result in increased processing time and costs for applicants." The draft also spells out how the Council will support monitoring by manawhenua. 'Achieving a culturally relevant monitoring programme will require dedicated and consistent resourcing for Pokeka Poutini Ngāi Tahu Limited ... a specific funding agreement dedicated to environmental cultural monitoring will be needed before this programme can commence." WCRC chief executive Darryl Lew said last month the agreement and its protocol document, Paetae Kotahitanga ki Te Tai Poutini, were still fit for purpose and needed only minor changes. Because the council had been through some turbulent times with changes of leadership, key pieces of work had not been done including its practical implementation and the five year review was the opportunity to do that, he said. Cr Birchfield has argued that the agreement effectively gives iwi a sign-off right that was not intended by the RMA and has added to the delays and costs of obtaining resource consents on the West Coast. In a supplied statement he said the changes were far from minor. 'The role of Ngāi Tahu is strengthened to having, effectively, the same functions and powers as local government in certain areas.' However, Ngāi Tahu was not accountable to West Coasters in the same way as local government was, Mr Birchfield said. A particular issue in the agreement was the use of the term, "joint planning' which elevated Ngāi Tahu to the same level as the council, Mr Birchfield said. The changed proposal moved the region towards co-governance, and if Ngāi Tahu were to have a greater role in regional government, West Coast electors should be consulted on the changes by way of a referendum, Cr Birchfield said. The Regional Council says the changed wording in the agreement confers no additional powers on Ngāi Tahu but clarifies the existing rights of manawhenua under the RMA and the Treaty of Waitangi, and operational processes for council staff. During a meeting in May, Ngāti Waewae representative Francois Tumahai defended the iwi's current role in resource consenting. [ Tumahai said the rūnanga were required to give feedback on consent conditions. 'The decision is still made by the consents team on council. We don't make a decision on it,' The new document with the changes outlined, is available on the WCRC website in the agenda for today's council meeting. The Council this morning agreed to hold some clauses over for further advice and clarity, and the meeting continues this afternoon. - By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter


Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
West Coast Iwi Back Moves To Speed Up Goldmining Consents
Article – Lois Williams – Local Democracy Reporter The Mana Whakahono a Rohe partnership deal is up for its five-year review. It formally acknowledges the partnership and relationship between council and Poutini Ngi Tahu. West Coast iwi are backing a plan to making resource consents less of a bureaucratic maze for alluvial goldminers. The West Coast Regional Council is aiming to speed up the consent application process by working with Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the industry to write standard conditions and clearer templates. Goldminers keen to capitalise on the current gold price have been queuing for consents in recent months. And some have complained about the complexity of the process and the time it takes to gain council and iwi approval of conditions. Under the RMA, the council must work with manawhenua on environmental matters – a policy reinforced by the Mana Whakahono a Rohe partnership deal it signed with Poutini Ngāi Tahu in 2020. The agreement is now up for its five-year review. And at a public workshop this week, Poutini Ngai Tahu Partnership and Economic Development Manager Ashley Stuart said the council had not yet lived up to the agreement by sorting out the practicalities. 'We haven't fully delivered on actions set out in the agreement and have come to realise there is an actual level of discomfort for some, in how this is working in practice,' Ms Stuart said. The value of collaborating with iwi for the good of the West Coast economy had not changed, but there was a need for more clarity on who did what, and when. 'It's not a tradeoff – it's a balance,' Ms Stuart said. The changes proposed in the document spell out council and iwi responsibilities to work together on consents for other activities as well, including drinking water supplies, sewerage systems, landfills and flood protection 'But … we cannot keep spending time working re-actively, assessing every single consent as if it's the first time we've worked together. We're going backwards if we keep going on that route.' Council chair Peter Haddock said the Council had a great relationship with West Coast iwi and he treasured that, but agreed the consent process needed streamlining. 'I've looked at a couple (of mining applications) – they're going back and forth between the council and Poutini Ngāi Tahu and it's holding things up.' Ngati Waewae representative Francois Tumahai agreed. 'You're right – it's doubling up and we don't need to. (But) with a set of conditions everyone agrees on, we're done and dusted.' The Mana Whakahono a Rohe review was intended to iron those glitches out, Mr Tumahai said. 'We don't want to hold things up. Poutini Ngāi Tahu is a big promoter of mining on the West Coast and we intend to stay that way.' WCRC chief executive Darryl Lew said goldmining was not the only industry that stood to gain from a clearer, simplified resource consent application system. 'We will start with mining and go thematically through some of our intensive work areas; dairy effluent consents, point source discharges from wastewater plants; even down to whitebait stands, because we have 500 of those up for renewal in the next 18-months,' Mr Lew said. If the council and iwi could agree with iwi on standard consent conditions for alluvial goldmining in the next couple of weeks, the next step would be a workshop with industry representatives to see if everyone could agree. Councillor Allan Birchfield waved a copy of a resource consent he was granted in 1993 under the RMA for alluvial mining at Red Jacks Creek. The three-page consent – seen by LDR – required him to build a weir to protect a rail bridge and supply a stockpile of rock for repairs. The council need look no further than its own records for examples of simple consent forms, he suggested. 'You've gone wrong over the years, made it more and more complicated. We should have worked out a set of conditions for any site.. get it signed and get people to work.' In response to a question, Ms Stuart said the impending RMA reforms were unlikely to change the requirement for councils and iwi to work together. 'But even if it does change would we want to move away? Some question, do we have to partner? … We don't have to work with industry, but we do because it's the right thing to do.' The partnership agreement simply set out how that would happen and gave the iwi no extra powers, Ms Stuart said.


Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
West Coast Iwi Back Moves To Speed Up Goldmining Consents
West Coast iwi are backing a plan to making resource consents less of a bureaucratic maze for alluvial goldminers. The West Coast Regional Council is aiming to speed up the consent application process by working with Poutini Ngāi Tahu and the industry to write standard conditions and clearer templates. Goldminers keen to capitalise on the current gold price have been queuing for consents in recent months. And some have complained about the complexity of the process and the time it takes to gain council and iwi approval of conditions. Under the RMA, the council must work with manawhenua on environmental matters - a policy reinforced by the Mana Whakahono a Rohe partnership deal it signed with Poutini Ngāi Tahu in 2020. The agreement is now up for its five-year review. And at a public workshop this week, Poutini Ngai Tahu Partnership and Economic Development Manager Ashley Stuart said the council had not yet lived up to the agreement by sorting out the practicalities. 'We haven't fully delivered on actions set out in the agreement and have come to realise there is an actual level of discomfort for some, in how this is working in practice,' Ms Stuart said. The value of collaborating with iwi for the good of the West Coast economy had not changed, but there was a need for more clarity on who did what, and when. 'It's not a tradeoff - it's a balance,' Ms Stuart said. The changes proposed in the document spell out council and iwi responsibilities to work together on consents for other activities as well, including drinking water supplies, sewerage systems, landfills and flood protection 'But … we cannot keep spending time working re-actively, assessing every single consent as if it's the first time we've worked together. We're going backwards if we keep going on that route." Council chair Peter Haddock said the Council had a great relationship with West Coast iwi and he treasured that, but agreed the consent process needed streamlining. 'I've looked at a couple (of mining applications) - they're going back and forth between the council and Poutini Ngāi Tahu and it's holding things up.' Ngati Waewae representative Francois Tumahai agreed. 'You're right – it's doubling up and we don't need to. (But) with a set of conditions everyone agrees on, we're done and dusted.' The Mana Whakahono a Rohe review was intended to iron those glitches out, Mr Tumahai said. 'We don't want to hold things up. Poutini Ngāi Tahu is a big promoter of mining on the West Coast and we intend to stay that way.' WCRC chief executive Darryl Lew said goldmining was not the only industry that stood to gain from a clearer, simplified resource consent application system. 'We will start with mining and go thematically through some of our intensive work areas; dairy effluent consents, point source discharges from wastewater plants; even down to whitebait stands, because we have 500 of those up for renewal in the next 18-months,' Mr Lew said. If the council and iwi could agree with iwi on standard consent conditions for alluvial goldmining in the next couple of weeks, the next step would be a workshop with industry representatives to see if everyone could agree. Councillor Allan Birchfield waved a copy of a resource consent he was granted in 1993 under the RMA for alluvial mining at Red Jacks Creek. The three-page consent – seen by LDR - required him to build a weir to protect a rail bridge and supply a stockpile of rock for repairs. The council need look no further than its own records for examples of simple consent forms, he suggested. 'You've gone wrong over the years, made it more and more complicated. We should have worked out a set of conditions for any site.. get it signed and get people to work.' In response to a question, Ms Stuart said the impending RMA reforms were unlikely to change the requirement for councils and iwi to work together. 'But even if it does change would we want to move away? Some question, do we have to partner? ... We don't have to work with industry, but we do because it's the right thing to do.' The partnership agreement simply set out how that would happen and gave the iwi no extra powers, Ms Stuart said.