Queenstown community consulted on Morning Star Beach Reserve plan by Ngāi Tahu

Mana Whenua Komiti members (from left) Deborah Paterson, Emma Wyeth, Jana Davis and Stacey Reynolds on site at the Morning Star Beach Recreation Reserve.

• Ngāi Tahu hosted a public hui to discuss the future of Morning Star Beach Recreation Reserve in Tāhuna.
• Jana Davis emphasised restoring the whenua and enhancing native plantings with community collaboration.
• Funds from Shotover Jet’s rent will be reinvested in the reserve and wider Kimiākau catchment.

Stepping into a space that is normally occupied by government agencies and councils, Ngāi Tahu hosted a public hui to consult with community members interested in the future of the Morning Star Beach Recreation Reserve in Tāhuna (Queenstown).

Jana Davis, co-chair of the Mana Whenua Komiti for Morning Star Reserve, says he was pleased to have the opportunity to connect with local residents and conservation and recreation groups to hear their aspirations for the vested area and the wider reserve.

“Many of the community groups share our vision of restoring the whenua [land], removing exotic pest species and enhancing native plantings, and they are already doing some great mahi in the reserves within the Kimiākau [Shotover] catchment. Our goal is to build a reserve management plan that provides the opportunity for Kāi Tahu [Ngāi Tahu] whānau to connect to this place,” Davis says.

“Although the vested area of the reserve is relatively small and includes significant built infrastructure, it remains a site of strategic importance. It provides Kāi Tahu whānau with a unique opportunity to demonstrate our capability in reserve management while reconnecting with the whenua, improving it for our generation and those generations to come.”

In October 2023, the Minister of Conservation vested a 0.8ha portion of the reserve, which is located on the banks of the Kimiākau awa (Shotover River), in Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (Te Rūnanga). Vesting is a legal process that passes administration and control of a specific area to the vested authority – in this case, Te Rūnanga. As part of this process, Te Rūnanga is developing a reserve management plan for the vested whenua and seeking public input into this plan.

Shotover Jet operates out of the reserve, which means that the business now pays rent to Te Rūnanga instead of Te Papa Atawhai (the Department of Conservation). Under the vesting conditions, these funds will be available for Te Rūnanga to reinvest directly in the vested site or in reserve land within the wider Kimiākau catchment. At the public hui on December 7, local residents expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to connect with mana whenua kōmiti members and kaimahi (staff) from Te Rūnanga and environmental consultancy Kauati Limited, who are working on the development of the reserve management plan.

Following on from a site visit and wānanga (seminar) the previous day, mana whenua kōmiti members Stacey Reynolds (Moeraki), Emma Wyeth (Puketeraki), Deborah Paterson (Waihōpai) and Jana Davis (Hokonui) shared some background on their connection to this kaupapa with the local community during the public hui.

Feedback gathered from attendees at the public hui will be considered during the preparation of the draft reserve management plan, which will identify the vision, objectives, policies and priorities for the reserve and reserve pūtea (funds) over the next five to 10 years. Community members will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft plan in mid-2025.