For Matakana and Rangiwaea Islands, Tauranga - Rena Cultural Impact Assessment 2013
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Rena Cultural Impact Assessment
for Matakana and Rangiwaea
Islands, Tauranga
2013
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2
1.1. Executive Statement ............................................................................................................... 2
1.2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 3
1.3 Location................................................................................................................................... 4
2.0 Cultural Values Impacts ............................................................................................................... 5
2.1. Introduction............................................................................................................................ 5
2.2. First Impact – Oil Clean-up ...................................................................................................... 5
2.3. Second Impact – Oil and Debris Clean-up .............................................................................. 10
2.4. Update 2013 ......................................................................................................................... 13
2.5. Cultural Impacts – Negatives:................................................................................................ 15
Physical Impacts – ā Tinana...................................................................................................... 15
Mental Impacts – ā Hinengaro ................................................................................................. 16
Spiritual Impacts – ā Wairua .................................................................................................... 16
2.5. Cultural Impacts – Positives .................................................................................................. 16
3.0. Restore, Improve & Protect ...................................................................................................... 17
3.1. Recommendations to restore, improve and protect .............................................................. 17
Port of Tauranga Ltd ................................................................................................................ 17
Dredging .................................................................................................................................. 18
Shipping Lanes ......................................................................................................................... 18
Biosecurity ............................................................................................................................... 18
Ballast Waters.......................................................................................................................... 18
4.0. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 19
Definition of Māori Vocabulary........................................................................................................ 20
Bibliography .................................................................................................................................... 21
Table of Figures
Figure 1. Rena Grounding Site. Source – TVNZ/TV ONE ...................................................................... 4
Figure 2. Whānau collecting the paru oil using plastic gloves, rakes, shovels, buckets etc. from home.
.......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3. Casualities of the oil ............................................................................................................ 7
Figure 4. Workers cleaning the beach ................................................................................................ 8
Figure 5. It was devastating to see the pipi strand themselves in the thousands as if they were trying
to run away from the paru oil. ........................................................................................................... 9
1
1.0 Introduction
1.1. Executive Statement
Now, with regard to the land below high water mark . . . I consider that as part and
parcel of my own land . . . part of my own garden. From time immemorial I have had
this land and authority over all the food in the sea . . .those grounds have been handed
down to us by our ancestors. This Maori custom of ours is well established, and none of
the inland tribes would dare to go and fish on those places. Hōri Taiaho Ngātai (Ngāi Te
Rangi Tupuna, 1840).
Our whanau and hapu of Matakana and Rangiwaea islands were devastated when the Rena
Monrovia crashed into Otaiiti – Astrolabe reef, on the 5th October 2011. The catastrophe that
ensued, the decimation and desecration of our taonga within te moana me te whenua – the sea and
the land - was an indescribable trauma, suffered by all tangata whenua of the moana extending
across the vast ocean of Te Moana a Toi.
Five prominent areas were identified by the Rena Steering Group as the worst affected by the Rena
catastrophe and cultural impact assessments from tangata whenua were commissioned for each
area:-
Motiti Island, the closest landform to Otaiiti and undoubtedly the most severely affected;
Matakana Island;
Mauao – Papamoa,
Maketu
East Cape.
This report will explore the impacts of the oil and debris washed up onto the 27km open coastline of
Matakana including mitigation practices implemented. These impacts were extremely severe and
detrimentally affected our physical and natural environment - our moana and whenua and all life
sustained therein, including people – our whanau, hapu and iwi.
The whenua and moana are interconnected within a seamless life force – Mauri, providing
sustenance, security, and well-being for all living things. The negative impacts, on the mauri of our
moutere and wairua of our people, occurred over many months and still affect us today. The extent
of these negative effects is to this day, still very difficult to quantify.
Throughout this report we will also illustrate the plethora of challenges our people faced including
communication [internal and external], resourcing, representation, governance, and future risk. We
are confident that recommendations we have put forward will assist with any response to such a
catastrophe in the future.
2
1.2 Acknowledgements
The Matakana and Rangiwaea Island Hapu Management Plan provides the whakapapa/genealogy
narrative for the tangata whenua of Matakana and Rangiwaea so this information will not be
duplicated here.
However, as a working group we acknowledge the efforts of the whānau and hapu of our Moutere: -
Ngai Tuwhiwhia, Ngati Tauaiti, Ngai Tamawhariua, Te Whānau a Tauwhao me Te Ngare, who gave
unconditional support and generous donations of their resources - time, aroha, kai, machinery, tools
and fuel.
In particular our kuia who looked after us at the marae and worked with us on the beach:-
o Nanny Te Maki Ladbrook
o Nanny Erana Bush
o Nanny Mere Kuka
o Nanny Lily Murray
o Nanny Tapae Murray
o Nanny Pare Kana
o Nanny Annie Smith
And to all our other whānau, hapū, iwi of Tauranga Moana – including our very own Ngai Te Rangi
runanga; ICC, Greenpeace, Waikato University, New Zealand Defence Force/Army and Navy,
Maritime New Zealand and anyone else we may have missed who assisted us through a traumatic
time –
Ngā mihi nunui ki a koutou katoa.
And to the following individuals for their input and contribution into the Cultural Impact Assessment;
o Margaret Broughton
o Hayden Murray
o Donna Poka
o Nessie Kuka
3
1.3 Location Matakana and Rangiwaea Islands provide a spiritual and geological whakaruruhau (shelter) for the wider Tauranga area. Matakana Island coastline was identified as one of the most impacted areas alongside Mōtītī Island, Maketu, Mauao/Papamoa and East Cape. Figure 1. Rena Grounding Site. Source – TVNZ/TV ONE The whenua and moana are interconnected within a seamless life force – Mauri - providing sustenance, security, and well-being for all living things. The negative impacts on the mauri of our Moutere and wairua of our people occurred over many months and still affect us today. The extent of these effects is still very difficult to quantify. 4
2.0 Cultural Values Impacts
2.1. Introduction
The oil spill in October 2011 and subsequent spread of debris in January 2012 along the coastal
barrier arm of Matakana Island (the Ocean Beach) affected our people spiritually, physically and
mentally. The Island whānau mobilized ourselves from day 1 to facilitate the clean-up and manage
the consequent torrent of volunteers from the mainland.
We the tangata whenua who reside on the Islands are ahi-kā. We keep the home fires burning as a
beacon for our whānau to come home to. As Kaitiaki it is incumbent upon us to be the ‘first
response’ to anything that impacts our tribal taonga. We are obligated to practice Kaitiakitanga –
stewardship of our taonga; it is our duty and one which we embrace emphatically.
“With heavy hearts we picked fish bins of ocean beach pipi, the day before the oil
struck the ocean beach; we knew it was going to be bad and that we wouldn’t be
having pipi for a long time after that day”
9th October 2011
2.2. First Impact – Oil Clean-up
Wednesday 5th October 2011: Rena hits Ōtāiti (the Astrolabe Reef) and is grounded.
Thursday 6th October 2011:
The response to a spill from the cargo vessel Rena, currently stranded on Astrolabe Reef near
Tauranga Harbour, has escalated this afternoon, following confirmation that dispersant [corexit]
applied to the oil slick is proving to be ineffective. (“Rena grounding update – response escalates”,
2011. para 1, Scoop).
Sunday 9th October: Group of locals go to Ocean beach to clear driftwood and debris off the beach
to avoid oil contamination. Tuatua [a local edible shellfish] were collected by the whanau because
“we knew the oil was coming and didn’t know when our next kai of pipi would be”.
Monday 10th October: Oil reaches the Ocean Beach side of Matakana Island.
We initiated a kumara vine of communication, ringing, texting and face-booking our whanau to meet
at the ocean beach prepared to start cleaning up the oil. We could not imagine the extent of the oil
contamination that confronted us. It was horrific. The smell, the sight, the stench of it all. Little did
we know that we would be volunteering for weeks on end in an attempt to clean up our Ocean
Beach.
“Feelings of anger, frustration and helplessness overwhelmed me. The stench of the
oil, the large “paddies” of oil dotted along the beach, and the sight of a bird saturated
and dead in a large pool of fresh oil, I became emotional and shed a few tears. I
offered a karakia, and vowed to do what I could to make things better and restore
our foreshore to its former beauty”.
5
Figure 2. Whānau collecting the paru oil using plastic gloves, rakes, shovels, buckets etc. from home.
Seeing the oil on our once pristine beaches brought tears to everyone’s eyes. All of us had to
reconcile with what had happened.
“You had to go there [to the Ocean Beach] and see the mess and either decide to walk
away and do nothing...or get down and clean it”.
Tuesday 11th October: Hui at Opureora Marae, Matakana Island.
“Although we were told to keep away from the beach, whānau were not happy to sit
around and do nothing”.
Tangata whenua organise own voluntary labour force to clean up the oil. We gathered at the Marae
and discussed how we were going to tackle the situation, including:-.
People asked to come prepared i.e. water, cleaning gears, tools, gloves, suitable footwear
and clothing.
Health and Safety practices put in place regarding the proximity to the oil and the toxic
exposure; and to prevent cross contamination.
Footwear to be left out at the beach site so oil is not tracked back to the marae or home.
Workers carpooling to save petrol.
Not a safe environment for children.
Not good to eat kai out at the beach.
Having a couple of the men scouting the beach to find the heaviest concentration of oil, so
our volunteers could concentrate on cleaning the worst hit areas.
Wednesday 12th October: Hui at Waikari Marae, Matapihi.
Matakana Island Ocean Beach identified by officials as a non-facilities beach and so was seen as “not
as important as Mount Maunganui / Papamoa”.
6
With help not readily available from the Mainland, the haukāinga were even more determined to get
out there and clean the beach. We had no equipment or resources, other than our own tools and
bits and pieces from our homes. Most importantly we had each other and we were determined to
maintain a daily vigil to collect as much of the oil as we could, 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our crew varied anywhere from 25 to 125, but always present were the staunch band of Islanders
who returned day after day to get as much of the oil as we could off the beach.
“It was inspirational to work beside my island whānau, both young and old, and utilise
whatever resources we had on hand to clean up what we could.”
Monday 17th October:
Matakana Island is a large breeding ground for the endangered Tuturiwhatu or New Zealand
Dotterel. All our local volunteers were well informed about where these birds nest and to respect
their space. Without consultation with tangata whenua, 6 of these birds were caught and relocated
to the Tauranga Wildlife Rescue Centre. A further 10 were caught and taken the next day. In an
undertaking such as this, consultation with our Kaumātua would have been culturally appropriate.
October – November 2011: Donations of food, fuel and transport arrive from our Island whānau.
With the support of Ngai Te Rangi Iwi, Maritime NZ assists the clean-up with the provision of
equipment i.e. PPE suits, gumboots, gloves, masks, rubbish bags etc.
Figure 3. Causalities of the oil and workers on the beach
A number of volunteers from the mainland assist with the clean-up including whānau from Hapū
around Tauranga Moana.
It was encouraging to have a steady stream of volunteers and local businesses helping. The use of
farming and forestry equipment, the ready supply of kai and the support of the whanau helped to
ease the frustration in the lack of communication from the government and local council.
December 2011: After negotiations with Maritime NZ, 7 Islanders are invited to join the specialist oil
clean-up crew. The Islanders quickly become supervisors of the labour crews from the Mainland as
local knowledge of the area as well as their drive to clean the beach were recognised as valuable
assets to a speedy clean-up.
Meanwhile, whānau and other volunteers continue cleaning the paru oil as well.
7
Collecting the paru (oil) without losing too much of our onepu (sand) was a priority. It was heart
breaking to see truckloads of contaminated oil soaked sand being taken off our Island.
Figure 4. Workers cleaning the beach
Friday 2nd December 2011: The first paid workers from Fulton Hogan were sent over to assist us in
our clean up. Until this time we had relied primarily on volunteers efforts. We also had a Lamoure or
beach groomer sent over for our use.
Saturday 3rd December: 1 female dotterel (F4) died in captivity. Hayden contacted the wildlife
centre based at Te Manga - Mt. Maunganui and asked for the post mortem results and also that the
bird be returned to Matakana and buried from where it was taken. Following this death the nesting
grounds became a high priority for clean-up crews for the return of the rest of our birds.
Wednesday 7th December: John Dowding returns 3 Dotterel taken from the Panepane breeding
area for release and the Dotterel (F4) for burial.
Thursday 8th December: 5 Dotterel taken from the Waikoura breeding area were returned.
Saturday 10th December: 5 birds taken from between Hutt Rd and Tank Rd were returned.
Monday 12th December: News received that our last 2 dotterels being housed at the wildlife centre
had also died.
Monday 19th December: These birds were returned and buried where they were taken from at the
Waikoura breeding area.
Upon release of these special taonga back to Matakana Island, protocol and such
sensitivities were adhered to by a local Kaumātua who gave a Karakia and blessing at
each release and burial and then was given the rare opportunity to release 1 dotterel by
hand.
8
Pipi were collected for testing in the early parts of the clean-up and signs were placed along the
beach to inform about the potential risks. However no one told us the results until a representative
from Aquatek Environmental Monitoring reported back.
The results were: 16 Compounds tested – tuatua are clean in terms of oil contamination. These tests
took place four months after the first signs of oil appeared on the beach.
The issue of dwindling fish / shellfish stocks is not isolated to our Islands. But because of our location
and dependency on kaimoana to sustain our Hapū, we feel the impacts severely.
Figure 5. It was devastating to see the pipi strand themselves in the thousands as if they were trying to run away from
the paru oil.
The help of Iwi Liaison rep Mike Borrell made a large difference in organising supplies and
equipment and became a medium for communications with the larger organisations involved i.e.
Maritime, ICC and the Wildlife Rescue Team.
In January 2012, the Rena completely broke in half and the stern slipped off of the reef and began
sinking. A small amount of oil and containers escaped the ship as it broke in half. (“Rena Oil Spill:
Sequence of Events”, 2011. para. 26, Wikipedia).
92.3. Second Impact – Oil and Debris Clean-up 9 January 2012: Debris and containers start washing up at the Ocean Beach. 5 containers were washed onto our beach. Timber, milk powder, baling twine, wheel barrow wheels, rice packets/pots, paper, wool, sofa cushions and plastic beads littered the 27 km length of our Ocean Beach. The contents of the containers and debris became the responsibility of Braemar Howell - the salvage company and not Maritime NZ. Therefore overnight, the clean-up was split into two separate work streams, the oil response and the debris recovery. 10 January 2012: Tangata whenua operations team co-ordinate and mobilise whānau volunteer labour force from Matakana. Our tangata whenua team and Iwi Response Unit also co-ordinate mainland volunteers and supplies. We were advised of a new contract between Braemar Howell and Ngati Ranginui Incorporated to employ tangata whenua for the container and debris recovery. 10
Our Matakana operations team facilitates the administration of contracts, timesheets and logistics
of the overall operation on the Island. We were never acknowledged nor thanked for this huge
undertaking by either Braemar or Ngati Ranginui. Because we were not a party to the contract, we
had no bargaining power.
While the 7 locals continued with the oil response and again concentrated their efforts around the
Dotterel breeding sites, the whānau continued to clean up the oil soaked debris.
With a lot of this rubbish coming into contact with oil, most of it was unsalvageable. However, a few
local residents did manage to find bits and pieces that were worth saving.
Again feelings of frustration returned as it seemed like all our hard work in the oil
response had been undone.
The impact could be felt all the way to our classrooms. As part of our curriculum in the Kura (School)
we utilise many of the local resources such as the Moana, the 12 wetlands, the inner harbour
estuaries, and the forestry area. The impact of the Rena made our shores unsafe and unhealthy for
our students to utilise these resources. We advised our students not to attend to the clean-up
because of the health risks due to the toxic nature of the oil.
11Polymer Beads (plastic beads) After 3 months of committed efforts from all involved, most of the large pieces of debris had been removed and more emphasis was placed on the removal of the polymer beads. A container full of beads had washed up at Tank Rd on the ocean beach and was dragged up the beach by the salvage contractors, releasing beads everywhere. Because of the volume of beads, their size and translucent colouring the major concern was that the beads may be ingested by wildlife, birds, fish and marine animals. Although the impact of the beads was downplayed, tangata whenua are committed to the complete recovery and removal of the beads. Again as with the oil, the weather was a major factor. With conditions to suit the best method of removal was the use of large sifts. Sand was shovelled into sifts and manually worked. As much natural material as possible was returned to the beach e.g. sand, shells, seaweed, drift wood. February 2012: Maritime NZ advises the withdrawal of the Fulton Hogan labour force and machinery. March 2012: Braemar advise Matakana operations team by text of the stand down of operations effective immediately. Until further notice. April 2012: Braemar agree to contract 7 Islanders to continue polymer bead recover. The full environmental impact of RENA will remain unknown. Strong winds and king tides regularly buried oil and debris before we were able to clear these sites. Often a site which had been cleaned would need doing again once the buried oil/debris was exposed by the wind and tides. 12
2.4. Update 2013
The bead recovery with Braemar and our tangata whenua crew continued to the end of 2012.
Relationships within Braemar itself and with our crew were not the best by this time.
January 2013: The termination of the Braemar Howell contract halted the bead recovery work.
There had been a suggestion from the Swedish Club, the Insurers for the Rena’s representative,
Captain John Owen, that they were considering a direct contract with the Matakana tangata
whenua to continue the bead recovery work. They offered our operations team an opportunity
for a lump sum payment to conclude the bead recovery on Matakana. We were asked to
provide a full and final lump sum figure, to achieve this. Although 19 initial discussions appeared
promising, it took some 6 months to negotiate a final agreement as we soon realised that our
idea of a final clean up lump sum, was a far cry from what the Insurers had in mind.
Finally the insurers advised us of the sum they had in mind and this lump sum agreement was
concluded in July. We received full payment of 170K plus GST, later in that month. We
immediately resumed work with our previous work crew.
Currently we have a crew of nine working at the beach. We envisage the bead recovery work to
last for approximately 40 weeks.
Aecora: Whilst we were still in negotiation with the Insurers, Aecora had secured the contract to
continue with debris recovery from Braemar Howell, earlier in the year. Following the second
release of beds in April, Aecora contacted our operations team to engage our labour crew to
continue bead recovery on Matakana. This work lasted approximately three weeks and resulted
in huge volumes of beads recovered from our ocean beach, mainly at Panepane. We appreciate
the support from Adam Desmond of Aecora during this time.
22 April, 2013
The severe weather conditions that hit the Bay of Plenty over the weekend, including
swells of up to four metres out at Astrolabe Reef; have caused the release of a quantity
of plastic beads from a partially intact container in the sunken stern of the Rena. (“Rena
Project Update”, 2013. Para 1, The Rena Project).
Visually the surface of the Ocean Beach is looking much more like the pre-Rena beach.
Subsurface is another matter as we are still finding oil and debris up to a metre or more deep in
the heavily affected areas.
Future adverse effects are unknown with a number of containers still unaccounted for; with part
of the Rena wreckage still laying on Otāiti (the Astrolabe Reef); with debris and oil still being
found buried deep in the sand; with plastic beads still posing health risks to our wild-life and kai
moana as well as causing an imbalance in our natural environment; with the effects of the
dispersant used on the oil still in question.
13September 2013: The adult dotterels come out closer to us near the shoreline. Hayden locates us on the beach and told us not to cut through parts of where the dotterels are. They come out fly around and go back to their nests it’s amazing, but what worries me is those beads they do look yummy to birds…bit of a worry that.. 14
2.5. Cultural Impacts – Negatives:
The adverse effects of the Rena grounding have impacted our Moutere and Moana; our flora and
fauna; our whānau and Hapū; our future aspirations. The oil and debris were an enormous threat to
our:
kaimoana
wildlife
wellbeing of whanau and hapu
The disruption of life cycles and habitats was most obvious with the sight of tuatua (pipi) stranding
themselves on the beach to escape the paru.
sand dunes
archaeological sites
pā and waahi tapū
During the early stages of the salvage clean up, stacks of timber were placed on our sand dunes to
prevent them (the timber) from remobilising and floating away. In the process of removing timber
stacks a lot of damage was done to plants essential to the stabilisation of the dunes.
The increased traffic of vehicles and people on our beach and Island during the clean-up also
negatively affected significant areas; along with the oil and debris that were windblown onto them.
“One group of workers would pick up the larger clumps of oil soaked sand / debris,
while another group would pick up the droplets of oil or beads that lay in clusters along
anything that stood in their way”.
Moana / wai
Kapata kai
Dispersant used to clear oil spilled from the stricken cargo ship off the coast of Tauranga could be
doing more harm than good, an expert claims…University of Southampton lecturer in
oceanography Dr Simon Boxall told the Science Media Centre the chemicals used to disperse the
oil were very toxic and had been banned by countries including Sweden. (Rena Oil spill Update,11
Oct 2011. para 9. Bay of Plenty Times).
As well, the grounding placed an enormous burden on our whānau to clean-up the paru including:
Physical Impacts – ā Tinana
o long hours in the sun, wind and rain
o not being able to swim in the Moana to cool down
o heavy lifting
o long distances covered on foot
o constantly on hands and knees
o lack of sleep
o the stench and toxicity of the oil – paru and other organic debris
o Becoming run down and sick
15Mental Impacts – ā Hinengaro
o Long Hours working 7 days a week
o Time away from whānau
o Unable to supplement the kai cupboard
o Seeing our beach littered with oil and debris
o Seeing our pipi beach themselves in the thousands.
o Seemingly endless task of re-cleaning areas that had already been cleaned.
o Frustration at the lack of communication/consultation of governing departments with the
locals.
o Lack of understanding the logistics involved with everyday living on Matakana.
Spiritual Impacts – ā Wairua
o Loss of mana when the Island was deemed as unimportant beside Mount Maunganui and
Papamoa.
o Cultural insensitivity - no consultation in relation to tikanga/protocol.
o Strangers who were not thinking holistically for our Moutere or our people.
o Seeing large ships lining up to enter and exit the Harbour while we were still cleaning the oil
and debris.
2.5. Cultural Impacts – Positives
The positive effects of the Rena Grounding were:
o Kaitiakitanga – Helped to define the Hapū role as Kaitiaki; satisfaction in being able to give
something back to Tangaroa and Papa-tū-ā-nuku.
o Kotahitanga – Whānau and others working together to a common goal.
o Rangatiratanga - Whānau taking leadership roles in our tangata whenua operation -
administration, organisation, supervision, negotiation.
o Salvage of re-usable non-contaminated debris i.e. timber, milk powder (for animal feed),
twine.
o Employment of local residents.
163.0. Restore, Improve & Protect
3.1. Recommendations to restore, improve and protect
To us, the Island people, a few lessons have been learned:
1. The grounding may not have happened if there were stricter laws governing access to the
Tauranga Harbour.
2. The oil could have been removed before it cooled down if the correct machinery and vessels
were based in Tauranga. Due to the high level of usage of the Ports of Tauranga and Mount
Maunganui – this is essential.
3. Booms and skimmers would have been a more eco-friendly option to collect the oil rather
than chemical oil dispersants.
4. Local knowledge is valuable and time-saving and should always be considered when coming
onto our Islands.
5. That resources need to be available to continue cleaning up and monitoring the debris and
oil that still appears on our coastline.
The Draft Matakana Coastal Survey – Marine Debris. (Integral Environmental LP. 09/23/2013 –
Revision 1.0) is a pilot study commissioned by the Matakana Island Marine Club to conduct a site
investigation along the 27 km length of Matakana Island Ocean Beach. The objective of the survey is
to assess the standing stock of MV Rena marine debris upon the beach and fore dunes of Matakana
Ocean Beach toward the development of an appropriate clean-up program.
6. That resources need to be available to continue monitoring our flora and fauna, especially
our Kaimoana and mahinga kai.
7. That resources need to be available to restore our sand dunes in areas highly impacted by
the grounding.
8. That we support our Whānau around Te Moana ā Toi in calling for the total removal of the
Rena wreckage from Otāiti.
9. That there is a need for an Emergency Response Plan for Matakana and Rangiwaea Islands
encapsulating the Cultural Values utilized by the hau kainga / community in response to the
Rena grounding.
The Draft Matakana Island Community Response Plan (2013) was developed by Te Awanui Hauora,
Matakana Island, in conjunction with the Western Bay District Council and Civil Defence for use in a
civil emergency on Matakana Island.
Furthermore, threats from poorly constructed local government policies have allowed council-
permitted activities to negatively affect the Hapū and Islands. The key issues related to the Rena are:
Port of Tauranga Ltd
The contribution the Port of Tauranga Ltd (the Port) has made to the local and national economy is
acknowledged, however economic and environmental factors associated with the Port that
negatively impact on our Islands and moana are as follows: -
Increased volume of container shipping traffic and lack of defined shipping lanes
17 Increased bio-security threats (invasive insects and organisms land and sea)
Increased pollution from ballast waters
Dredging
The Port has consents granted by Environment Bay of Plenty to deepen and widen the shipping
channels in the Tauranga harbour. This involves removing boulders from under Mauao, dredging Te
Paritaha main bank and scouring Panepane (located on the barrier arm of Matakana Island at the
Mount Maunganui harbour entrance). The aim of the expansion of Port activities is to increase the
volume of port traffic and to allow bigger container ships into the Tauranga harbour. While
conditions have been negotiated between the Port and local Iwi representatives, we believe the
accumulative effect of this activity is extremely detrimental for our Moana. In addition, much of the
scientific evidence submitted by the Port relies on unknown variables that do not provide certainty.
Shipping Lanes
The absence of shipping lanes in New Zealand highlights the tension and risks that exist between
economic interests and the integrity of the environment. The protest action at the Auckland wharf
resulted in container ships being diverted to Tauranga. We saw this as another threat and potential
catastrophe as container ships vied for access to Tauranga Ports and lined up outside Mayor Island
(marine reserve).
“The New Zealand government has been informed of eleven (11) close calls or near misses regarding
accidents – ranging from tankers to passenger vessels – since the Rena disaster happened just over a
year ago. Marine experts insist that this exemplifies the need for more enforced control. This report
comes at a time when the New Zealand government are asking for obligatory shipping lanes for the
country”. (The Maritime Executive, Oct 10, 2012. para 1). 22
Biosecurity
We need stricter border controls to contain foreign, invasive, viruses that threaten native plants and
our horticulture and agriculture ventures. The recent grounding of the Rena highlighted the risks and
dangers of foreign and invasive species entering via the eastern coastline. We support a regime of
bio-security testing and monitoring to mitigate any potential threats.
Ballast Waters
The increased volume of ships to Tauranga Harbour increases the volume and potential of polluted
ballast water being spilled accidentally or deliberately into the marine environment.
184.0. Conclusion
In conclusion, in addition to the recommendations we have made, we return to our foremost
aspiration of the tangata whenua of Matakana and Rangiwaea.
To achieve the full restoration of the mauri - life force of our coastal and marine
environment - te moana me te whenua me nga taonga katoa, to its pristine state
prior to the Rena grounding tragedy. This will ensure that the wellbeing of our
whanau, hapū and iwi, is restored and maintained also.
This aspiration can only be achieved if we minimise the risks and prevent another maritime
catastrophe happening again. Unfortunately, we alone cannot divert a recurrence.
If we have the misfortune to experience a similar catastrophe, we know that we are prepared for the
first response as tangata whenua, the kaitiaki of our moutere.
The tangata whenua of Matakana and Rangiwaea are determined and resilient and we will face any
future challenge tenaciously, to ensure the protection and maintenance of our taonga so that
generations to come will have the opportunity to enjoy the uniqueness of our Moutere.
The following haka written by our local school Principal is a wero or challenge to all Kaitiaki of Te
Moana ā Toi (The Bay of Plenty) as, like the pingao that begins as a tiny seed and raises up to bind
our mighty shores – we can only start on our own shores to restore the mauri of all areas affected by
the grounding of MV Rena.
Ka too he toa, ko te pingao, ka tupu ki te The planting of a seed has begun with the
akau, pupuri i te mauri o te moutere o pingao
matakana i a ha ha Restoring life to the beach
As the tide breaks on shore
Akina te tai herea ki uta
The pingao binds together to protect the inland
Ake ake ake tonu atu e For all future generations
Ara mai raa he toa ko re tangata A leader has been born
Ka tipu i nga tikanga tuku Raised on traditional values
Ka pakari i ngaa hua taiao A desolate environment impacts negatively on
the people
Haahaa taiao haahaa te iwi
A living environment adds to the quality of life
Oranga taiao oranga te iwi for the people
Whaia ngaa tikanga tuku iho Return to traditional environment sustaining
Maa te ringa rehe ia e manaaki practices
Hei oranga mo te iwi ee It is our hands that will bring life to the
environment
He tai kino herea ki uta
For all future generations.
He tai kino herea ki uta ake ake tonu atu
e.
19Definition of Māori Vocabulary Kupu / Word Whakamārama / Definition Ahi kā Title to land through occupation Hapū Kinship group, tribe Haukāinga Home people Hui Meeting, gathering Kaitiaki Guardian, caretaker Kaitiakitanga Guardianship Kotahitanga Unity Mahinga kai Food-gathering places Mauri Life force Moana Sea Moutere Island (singular) Ngā Moutere Islands (plural) Pipi Shellfish Rangatiratanga Leadership, right to exercise authority Tangata whenua Local people, hosts Taonga Treasure, anything precious Tauranga Moana Tauranga harbour Te Moana ā Toi Bay of Plenty Tuatua An edible shellfish found on the Ocean Beach. Tūpuna Ancestor Whakapapa Genealogy, lineage Whānau Family / extended family Whenua Land 20
Bibliography 11 Near Misses in Shipping Incidents since Rena Grounding Prompts Call for Action. In The Maritime Executive – October 10, 2012. Retrieved Oct 12, 2012, from www.maritime- executive.com/article/11-near-misses-in-shipping-incident-since-rena-grounding-prompts-call-for - action/ Braemar Howells/Unimar Update. In Rena Update #238 – Maritime NZ. Retrieved Oct 5, 2013, from www.maritimenz.govt.nz/rena update #238. Dotterel set for breading season. In Safe Seas Clean Seas – Issue 41. Retrieved Oct 5, 2013, from www.maritimenz.govt.nz/publications-and-forms/Safe-Seas-Clean-Seas/Issue-41-8. Moorefield, J C. (2011). Te Aka Māori-English, English Māori Dictionary. NZ: Pearson. http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/ Murray, H. (2013). Rena Kaitiaki Impact Assessment. Unpublished. Rena grounding update – response escalates. In Scoop. Retrieved Oct, 2013, from http://www.scoop.co.nz/regional/rena-grounding-update-response-escalates Rena Oil Spill - Sequence of Events. In Wikipedia. Retrieved Sept 3, 2013, from www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rena-oil-spill Rena Oil Spill: Latest update. In Bay of Plenty Times – 11/10/2011. Retrieved Oct 5, 2013, from www.nzherald.co.nz/bayofplentytimes/rena-oil-spill-latest-update-11-october-2011 Rena Project Update. In The Rena Project. Retrieved Oct 5, 2013, from www.renaproject.co.nz/rena- project-update Stranded ship has 1700 cubic metres of oil onboard. In TVNZ One News/ZB – Oct 5, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2013, from http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/stranded-ship-has-1700-cubic-metres-oil- onboard-4442968 Watt, J. (2012). Matakana and Rangiwaea Hapū Management Plan. Tauranga: Boffa Miskell Ltd. http://www.westernbay.govt.nz/Documents/Projects/MatakanaIsland/HMPMatakanaRangiwaeaHa puManagementPlanassubmittedon7November2012FINAL.pdf 21
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