The purpose of the 8-page memo is to provide additional
information about a $200,000 funding request from Te Uri o Hau.
Te Uri-o-Hau is a sub-iwi of Ngāti Whātua, based around the Kaipara Harbour. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, approximately 1,314 people affiliate with Te Uri-o-Hau. They received a Treaty of Waitangi settlement in 2002, formalised through the Te Uri o Hau Claims Settlement Act 2002, which included $15.6 million in land and cash, a 50-year Right of First Refusal for surplus Crown properties, and cultural redress like advisory roles in fisheries management. The trust also acts as an "iwi authority" under the Resource Management Act 1991 and supports community initiatives, such as the 2023 Census partnership with Stats NZ.
The proposal being considered by the NRC is as follows:
Proposed Project
The proposal is to provide support to Te Uri o Hau to undertake marae climate adaptation planning. The value of the project would be $100k per year for two years. Funding for the adaptation programme was approved through the LTP and was based on up to $100K per annum per district being available.
The purpose of this project is to assist Te Uri o Hau whānau
and marae to develop climate adaptation plans using a cluster of marae as a
pilot with a view to providing this as an example of a hapu led approach to
climate adaptation that could be used by other communities and marae. The
following marae are proposed to be involved: Oruahwaro, Otamatea, and Te Pounga
marae. These maraes are identified as having high risk exposure.
The Project seeks to develop and apply a Kaupapa Māori approach to develop climate adaptation plans. This includes, but is not limited to, using the Te Ao Turoa Framework developed in partnership with councils and mana whenua in Te Tai Tokerau. Additionally, the Project seeks to develop new guidance material, templates and tools supporting marae to actively engage in future discussions with local authorities on natural hazards and climate adaptation.
Benefits of Funding the Project
- Iwi/hapū communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, due to:
- Historical land confiscations.
- Lack of infrastructure services.
- Income disparity and reduced capacity to afford the costs of adaptation.
- High proportion of employment in primary industries exposed to risks from climate change.
- Risks related to the transition to a low-carbon economy.
- The project contributes to the delivery of two strategies which NRC have adopted, Te Taitokerau Climate Adaptation Strategy and Tāiki ē.
The question we ask is, why doesn't this well-resourced iwi fund the project itself?
The question we ask is, why doesn't this well-resourced iwi
fund the project itself?