Waikato waterways co-management settlement could apply elsewhere

The Waikato River. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The new co-management era between iwi and the Crown could be applied to other rivers, besides the Waikato.

Yesterday, Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson was at Waikato-Tainui's signing of its river settlement deed at Hopuhopu.

It was the second of its kind, after the first - signed in August 2008 - was deemed too cumbersome to work in practice and did not make it into legislation.

What has stayed the same is the co-management principle, where the tribe, with four other river iwi - Tuwharetoa, Maniapoto, Raukawa and Te Arawa - and the Crown will work together to clean up the 425km waterway.

Asked about the probability of the model moving to other regions, Mr Finlayson said there could be a case for that happening although it might not occur in the exact form.

"Whanganui, for instance - the people there have been wanting resolution of that particular issue since about 1848, 1850. I don't think there's ever a one size fits all.

"I'm going to be looking at other options and seeing if there are different ways of doing it, but, certainly, for this river system this is the right way of doing it."

It was a theme Lady Raiha Mahuta, one of the tribe's settlement co-negotiators, spoke about in her speech to an audience which included King Tuheitia, tribal members, Associate Maori Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu and MPs Tau Henare and David Bennett.

Iwi leaders who hailed from the Whanganui River were interested in how the model would work, she said.

"I think Sir Archie [Taiaroa] is looking sideways at this. It can only be improved as it goes to other iwi."

Lady Raiha is the widow of Sir Bob Mahuta, who led the tribe when it settled its $170 million lands claim in 1995.

In a quiet moment she sat by her husband's grave, which is outside Tainui's Endowed College, and cuddled her new grandchild, the son of Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta, while pictures were taken.

Lady Raiha, who is ill with a blood disorder, has given a lifetime of service to Tainui.

It took her and co-negotiator Tuku Morgan five years of work to get to yesterday's signing. Before that, she supported her husband for 30 years while he pursued the first major Treaty deal.

She said she never thought she would carry on his work, but the late Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, asked her to follow the river settlement through to completion, and she couldn't say no.

"Heck no, I thought I'd be a good pouaru [widow] and look after the kids and the mokos. I've learnt along the way that [for negotiators] it's like trying to be reasonable in an unreasonable situation because raupatu [confiscation] was unjust." However, she was excited about the river's future.

"The river's been waiting so long, and it's all been words so far. We all need to see action on the awa and we'll all need to have our friends, all the councils ... everyone working for one goal."

WHAT'S IN THE WAIKATO RIVER DEAL?

The Waikato River Authority - a board of 10, half drawn from five river iwi, half from Crown appointees.

Co-management agreements which will see the tribe participate in defined river-related resource consent decision making.

Cultural harvest provisions for iwi to collect different flora.

KINGITANGA ACCORD

Tribe develops agreements with a range of ministries, including Conservation, Fisheries and Local Government.

Rights of first refusal over leasehold estate in the Huntly Power Station and over Solid Energy mining licence.

THE NUMBERS

$210 million clean-up fund over 30 years - Waikato River Authority manages.

To Waikato-Tainui:

$20 million to the Mahuta College Endowment Fund.

$50 million for river initiatives.

$30 million for capacity building.