For the Eastern Seaboard communities, there are issues in this document that need close scrutiny and assessment. For example:
• There is a proposal to extend the size of the Cathedral Cove marine reserve as a "type one Marine Protected Area" or MPA (the highest level of protection recommended it is claimed), but at the same time allow iwi to take a "cultural harvest" from this and other similarly classified reserves.
Three others would be established, the closest to us at the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. However, the question must be asked if the Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve under this proposal would actually be a Marine Reserve at all, or simply the best fishing area in the Coromandel Peninsula being taken over by iwi for their own exclusive use.
• There is a proposal to have Type 3 Special Management Area or SMA around the Alderman Islands. SMAs are similar to MPAs except they allow for "carefully managed and targeted sport fishing of several species under a 'small volume, high value' harvest regime".
I believe that an exclusive cultural harvest of all species will also be allowed in this area effectively excluding all non-Maori from taking all ground fish, paua and crayfish etc. and creating similar issues of fairness to the Cathedral Cove situation.
• There is a proposal to declare all of the East Coast a kilometre out from the coast from just north of Waihi to the tip of the Coromandel a Type 4 Ahu moana - mana whenua and community co-management area which will allow for commercial and recreational fishing subject to "the prohibition of fishing or particular harvest methods, or the temporary closure of areas to allow for species or habitat restoration".
This will be determined by an appointed committee with 50 per cent iwi and 50 per cent community membership.
However, that community membership is likely to be determined completely outside of District Council or genuine Community control and likely to be constituted, to some degree, by members sympathetic to iwi who will start with a 50 per cent block vote.
• There is a proposal to have a fin fish farming zone roughly beside the area of Castle Rock.
There are serious environmental issues around fin fish farming and so far as I am aware, this area has not been subjected to any studies of suitability.
In my opinion, these concepts require wide dissemination around the Peninsula, and the Mercury Bay and Whangamata/ Tairua/ Pauanui Community Boards need to provide comment or even undertake their own community consultation jointly to pass on to the WRC and the other statutory bodies involved.
I have provided this assessment to the four TCDC District Councillors representing the Eastern Seaboard wards to allow for whatever consultation they deem appropriate.
I have done this because I would not be happy to make any decision about implementation until knowing exactly how the general community feels about this - something best achieved at the District Council level through the use of Community Boards.
I am not anti-iwi - I believe they deserve a fair go and that a lot still needs to be done to help them get back on their feet.
But in my opinion the 'collaborative' approach in this instance failed because on the pakeha side the participants had scant negotiation skills and were taken for a ride by some very astute Maori thinkers.
However, I am happy to support all the Sea Change proposals if that is what people actually want.
- Dal Minogue, WRC Councillor for the Thames Coromandel ward.