Ceremony to bless revised hapū management plan

Whangārei hapū Patuharakeke recently marked an important milestone with a ceremony to bless its revised hapū management plan.

Patuharakeke's rohe is located to the south of Whangārei Harbour, extending from north of Mangawhai Heads to the Mangapai River, and inland including the Brynderwyn and Kakanui Ranges. The hapū's marae is located at Takahiwai, west of Marsden Point.

Juliane Chetham of the Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board said the updated hapū management plan was developed in response to growing pressures in the rohe, such as industry development, customary fisheries issues (including shellfish decline) and the impacts of resource management and planning.

The plan sets out the hapū's aspirations for participation in resource management and decision-making, as well as concerns over natural resources. It replaces a previous plan which was developed in 2007.

The revised plan was blessed at a ceremony at Terenga Paraoa Marae on Wednesday 26 August where it was also formally lodged with the Northland Regional Council, allowing it to be recognised under the Resource Management Act.

Juliane Chetham of the Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board (right) with Northland Regional Council Coastal South councillor Craig Brown.

Craig Brown, the regional council's Coastal South councillor, accepted the plan on behalf of council, with chairman Bill Shepherd, chief executive Malcolm Nicolson and other council staff also in attendance.

Patuharakeke has members on both the council's Te Taitokerau Māori Advisory Committee and its Waiora Northland Water Whangārei Harbour Catchment Group. Councillor Brown noted that the response to any oil spills was another key area of commonality between the two organisations.

Funding to assist with the review and rewrite of the hapū management plan was provided through the regional council's Iwi Environmental Management Plan Fund.

Other guests at the ceremony to bless the plan included representatives of the Whangarei District Council, NorthPort, the New Zealand Refining Company, NorthTec, the Department of Conservation and hapū of the wider Whangārei area.