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Externals Mr Te Pio Kawa and Ms Irene Walker
PowerPoint
Presentation: Ētahi Kaupapa mā te Kaunihera
Key Points
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The whakatau recognised the huge amount of
work undertaken by the Commissioners during their time on this Committee and
made specific reference around rectifying misdemeanours from the past.
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This was about bringing balance, certainty and
commitment to future growth and development for the entire hapori
(community).
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Ngai te Ahi hapū’s boundary
extended beyond Tauranga city, however, as with all hapū, the focus and
centre was the whare/meeting house. This meant there were common values
and concepts that were important to all tangata whenua.
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Current issues raised today would have
enduring outcomes in terms of supporting the mokopuna who attended the
powhiri today and would be sitting in these seats in the future. It was
about the legacy left behind by the Committee and hapū for them to
continue.
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Today was about taking an important
opportunity to highlight key issues for the hapū, Ngai te Ahi, Ngati He,
Hairini, Waimapu Estuary, Maungatapu, Te Tahuna o Tetehe, Te Tahuna o Nga
Papaka o Rangataua that formed part of the rohe.
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Past members of the hapu were acknowledged, in
particular their hard work in setting up the tangata collective to address
common issues. Attendees today were representing these members and
aspired to continue their mahi. The knowledge that had been passed on
would never leave and there was much pride in who we were.
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Kuia, Auntie Mihi’s attendance was
acknowledged as was her knowledge of the history of the hapu and its people.
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Hairini Marae was situated in Hairini because
of the vision the people of the hapū had to bring the wharenui from
Poike to Hairini. The marae faced Mauao, across Te Awanui and Tauranga
Moana.
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The original papakāinga surrounding
Hairini marae were condemned by the governing body at the time because they
lacked infrastructure/water services. The presiding kaumatua then led
the approach for redevelopment and sections were created for whanau (the
original tenants) to relocate to. The infrastructure was paid for by
the sale of the front ten sections of Haukore Street.
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A key part of the discussions with Kāinga
Ora was that all the houses that had surrounded Hairini Marae/Ngai te Ahi
hapū were part of its original papakāinga. It was important
for the hapū to be represented in the redevelopment and design of
housing in the area as this was their identity and whenua that included being
relocated back into those houses.
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Ngai te Ahi acknowledged their sponsors, in
particular Tauranga City Council (TCC), for their sponsorship of Mana
kura tahi, the primary school national kapahaka competitions. Ngai te
Ahi and Ngati He were represented for the first time in Whakatu (Nelson) and
won second place in the competition.
Whakahokia o te Pahou – The Return of Te Pahou
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At the Council meeting on 26 February 2024,
the submissions received for the return of Te Pahou clearly showed unanimous
support. This clearly demonstrated how whanau and various associated trusts
felt about this revered site.
Te Pahou Celebration during Matariki
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Matariki would be a hapū hautapu led
kaupapa, with the organising committee meeting tomorrow to work on achieving
better representation and engagement for whanau from both hapu. A
better turnout was expected for this year’s event.
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The kaupapa of the return of Te Pahou
Ngāi as a significant site for Ngai te Ahi rohe was another
steppingstone in Ngai te Ahi’s tanga (identity). This was a
chance to create and develop hautapu ceremony.
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The way Matariki was celebrated, the rituals
and ceremonies, and what it meant in terms of planning a future direction for
Ngāi te Ahi, was an opportunity to bring everyone together and create
better recognition of it.
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Matariki stars had their own kaupapa and
tikanga associated with them, which was an opportunity to prepare karakia,
and tell stories for each one.
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Maumaharatanga was the remembrance and
recognition of those who had passed on in the previous year.
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Te whāngai i ngā Whetu gave homage
to each of the Matariki elements that brought together and connected
hapū.
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Hapū were working with TCC on an
application for a community grant to contribute towards the te pahou Matariki
celebration.
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This was also about the recognition of the
Ngai te Ahi hapū tamariki, mokopuna and pakeke to these sites of
significance that made up the Ngai te Ahi world.
Hammond Street Reserve - Te Pahou
Urupa - Des Heke
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The Hammond Street Reserve land was a subject
of return for hapū. It ran adjacent to, and contiguous to, Te
Pahou urupa.
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Since its revelation, whanau had been able to
gain an understanding of how revered this site was and why it was sanctified
as a resting place for tupuna.
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There were marked and unmarked grave
sites.
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This area had been a strategic stronghold,
deliberately positioned close to the entrance to Kaitemako stream and had
strong connections to other Pa sites.
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There were opportunities through wānanga
and pepeha to look after these taonga and sites of significance.
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This was not just a planting project but also
about remediating and reconnecting to the land. It was about adding key
cultural elements to the project that included knowledge and succession.
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An alternative ecological report was
commissioned by the hapū, resulting in eels being relocated to the
Kaitemako stream.
Ngāi Te
Ahi Rohe
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Ngāi te Ahi’s southern boundary
extended to the Ohaupara Stream, creating the connection with Te Arawa
hapū.
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Ngāi te Ahi has far reaching ancestral
connections. This was why their boundary extended to Ōtanewainuku and
Pūwhenua.
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Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement included the
vesting of part of these two above named areas to Ngāi te Ahi,
Ngāti Ruahine and Ngāi Tamarāwaho. Therefore, there were
very similar areas of interest between these rohe.
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The maps provided today were an important
opportunity to clarify on the TCC website the area/location of influence and
interest that Ngāi te Ahi had.
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There was a huge amount of resourcing required
for all the work that needed to be done. Therefore, it needed to be a
working partnership between Council and the working parties of the rohe.
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It would be beneficial to start a cadetship
program again, or similar initiative, as it would inspire young people to
come to the table and get involved.
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Resource management processes needed to be
more streamlined and inclusive of Māori.
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Ngai te Ahi and Ngati He had whenua to support
the housing aspirations of its whanau, an example being the Kaitemako
catchment blocks.
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The Kaitemako catchment blocks were
effectively about 171 hectares. 92 of these hectares were likely to be
developable and could provide for around two to three hundred homes.
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The main obstacle to this development was that
it was predominantly rural and lacked the infrastructure needed for whanau to
return to these areas.
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Hapū were working with the combined
Tangata Whenua Forum, City Deals and Priority One in terms of feasibility,
structure planning, infrastructure building and establishing work streams to
facilitate the future development of housing in this area.
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This was an important discussion in terms of
assisting whanau who were on a waiting list, or falling into gaps and could
not get onto a waiting list, for housing.
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Banks were now requiring a hapū
partition. Currently, the Māori Land Court was under extreme
pressure and had a back log to process any application, which made a
complicated process even longer.
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It was important for whanau to have a trusting
support network to start these processes and work through the obstacles
together to achieve their goals.
39 Haukore Street Playground
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The physical landscape of Haukore Street would
change due to further development which meant the demand on the 800 square
metres of the playground would increase significantly. This was a project for
Ngai te Ahi.
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This was an opportunity for cultural
integration and Māori design that would create a sense of identity for
the playground.
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A local resident who lived close to the
playground all his life advised the Committee that there were numerous health
and safety issues that included it being wet and slippery, in particular in
winter, causing children to slip and fall when walking and cycling, large
holes in the fence that cut the children when they moved through them, and a
very large tree that blocked sunlight and shed leaves that also created a
slippery/hazardous surface.
Hairini
Street Bus Lane
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It was felt this piece of road was an
underutilised resource. There was an opportunity to open and share the
road for public access outside of peak traffic hours.
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Several public meetings were held at Hairini
Mārae before the creation of the bus lane where health and safety issues
were discussed such as decreasing the speed limit and limiting usage times.
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Ngai te Ahi would like to discuss and explore
more options to utilise this bus lane with Council’s transport team.
Included in this discussion was korero about the Hairini Bridge/Welcome Bay
Link Road waterway and the amount of traffic congestion. Safe passageways for
children to walk and cycle to school from Hairini to Maungatapu was also an
issue and a project.
Water
Resource Consent Initiative
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The next big initiative for Ngai te Ahi was
working together with Ngati He and Ngati Ruahine around resource consents
regarding water.
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There was a desire to be situated within the
management/head of these discussions, as well as acknowledging the importance
of the whenua and the water that surrounded us.
Ms
Walker acknowledged that Council and Ngai te Ahi had a great working
relationship that had shared common goals and mana which was very beneficial
to Ngai te Ahi in terms of their projects and aspirations.
In response
to questions
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The thinking around annual planning on
resource management was in terms of what a full-time equivalent position
would be and the opportunity this would provide as an Annual Plan submission
for the following year.
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The Hairini Street Bus Lane project was seen
as work adjacent to the Fifteenth Avenue corridor work and as such was a key
project for Ngai te Ahi.
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The Manager: Strategic Māori Engagement
advised his team would look into the 39 Haukore Street Playground matter as
part of Council’s renewals program. It was agreed there needed to
be more maintenance done to the tree and footpaths.
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It was not Ngai te Ahi’s preference to
sell properties/land to fund their projects because their resources were
limited. A primary concern was to retain land already owned and seek
housing opportunities through entities such as Ministry for Urban Development
and Te Puni Kōkiri around providing the most appropriate infrastructure
to the highest standards possible to ensure longevity that would support
future generations.
Discussion
points raised
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Commission Chair Tolley queried whether the
Hairini Street Bus Lane had already been considered by Council to be open
outside of normal business hours. It would be raised at the next
Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee meeting.
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Commission Chair Tolley confirmed that the
Manager Strategic Māori Engagement would assist Ngai te Ahi with their
community grant application.
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Commission Chair Tolley thanked the presenters
for a thorough and interesting presentation, in particular, around the
history of Ngai te Ahi.
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