Ports of Tauranga Photo / Supplied
Blocking access to the Port of Tauranga may be the only way to force its owners to rethink expansion plans, Tauranga Iwi Ngāi Te Rangi says.
The port has applied to dredge 1.8 million cubic metres of the sea bed and extend its wharves by almost a kilometre; the plan also includes an almost 5ha land reclamation.
Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley says the port obtaining approval for such expansion from the Environment Court would destroy the moana, adding to what he says has been years of destruction attributable to the port since its first dredging license in 2011.
Stanley has sent a letter to the port's chief executive saying the Iwi could go further than court action, including a flotilla of boats, which could block ships from entering the port, and blockades on the roads in and out of the port.
"Our people who traverse the moana daily (and in my case weekly) over the years, have noted the declining nature of the harbour. This has been significant since your original consent in 2011. We were of the view when the consent was granted that the pristine nature of our moana would not be affected but that has not been achieved,” Stanley wrote.
'Put moana first'
"As governors of the Port of Tauranga and, by default, having control over the quality of our harbour through your decisions, I would like to petition you as a board to put our moana first.”
The Environment Court case has been put off till 2023, something which directors of the ports have expressed unhappiness about, but Stanley hopes for a straightforward ‘no’, arguing the ports have consistently violated their responsibilities to the environment and the community.
"Business and environment can come together in a sustainable way and whilst you pout with your perceived power it will NOT occur - please advise now how you would like this lesson delivered to you ..." he wrote.
Stanley said failure to engage with the iwi may require it to engage with the port.
"To bring attention to the traffic congestion your business contributes to, we intend to show you how congestion on YOUR roads and entrances will impact you. We will find a way to show you what happens when you can no longer get juggernaut access to enter the harbour at will,” he said.
Waitangi Tribunal action warned
Stanley says Ngāi Te Rangi has allocated $1.1 million a year over the next three years to begin to restore the degraded harbour, which is more than 10 per cent of the iwi's operating costs.
Ngāi Te Rangi would consider action at the Waitangi Tribunal to attempt to halt things from getting any worse.
"To get you to understand the importance of land and the moana to us, we will begin the process of investigating the implications of the Waitangi Tribunal case against you and your business supporters," Stanley wrote.
Ports of Tauranga, chief executive Leonard Sampson wouldn't be drawn on the comments within Stanley’s letter, only saying the issues are best debated at the Environment Court.
Supply chains were under severe strain, Samson said, and he wished the Environment Court would speed up approval, rather than delay it.
"We really hope the Environment Court can expedite matters by finding some hearing time this year," he said.
