Tēnā koutou e te whānau,
I was recently asked to provide more detail on key environmental submissions. This will form a regular part of the pānui going forward.
To recap, the following have been key environmental submissions this year:
In May, we appealed to the proposed Marlborough Regional Environmental Plan. There are currently only a handful of recognised wāhi tapu sites compared to more than 200 protected trees. We now need the Marlborough District Council to be more proactive in protecting culturally significant sites and to extend protection to wāhi tapu sites that are not specifically identified in the Council’s environmental plan.
In February, we wrote to the Council following a hui on access issues to Te Karaka (Cape Campbell) from Marfells Beach. We encouraged the Council to seek a pragmatic and quick solution to mitigate foreshore damage but also ensure access to customary fisheries. Our recommendation was to only allow quad bikes and improve signage and restrictions. To date, the Council has not made a decision.
In March we submitted on a water right for the Chaytor property to allow a vineyard development. We argued that given the known significance of archaeology and wāhi tapu sites in this property, an archaeological report should be a requirement before any development took place. We are awaiting a response from the Independent Hearings Commissioner.
The Trustees met with Mayor John Leggett, and Council’s CE Mark Wheeler today, to discuss the upcoming Resource Consent review of the Blenheim Sewerage Treatment Plant and in particular the options for the outfall. This will be a major issue in the coming months and we intend to work closely with the Council to ensure our kaitiaki obligations for the lagoon and estuary are met.
We are organising another FUSH ‘n Chips/Te Reo Māori night for the community as our part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori in September. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, numbers are limited so please contact the office if you and your whānau would like to come along for a free and entertaining evening with Anton Matthews and the team from FUSH.
We recently took part in two dawn ceremonies for the laying of kōhatu mauri for the new library and art gallery, as well as the Ōpaoa Bridge Pou Whenua. The Ōpaoa Pou will be unveiled in November this year.
Te Ipukarea will be held over Marlborough Anniversary weekend, 30-31 October, at Lansdowne Park in Wairau. We will have more details on this soon.
There will be a planting day and BBQ lunch at the Tuamātene Maara Kai on Saturday, 12 September. The first ten families that turn up get a grafted tomato plant to take home.
Tonight, for the final episode in our webinar series Tangata Rau, Reo Kotahi, we have a panel of rangatahi discussing the upcoming national elections. This is your last chance to tune in and go in the draw to win a Rangitāne prize pack.
Finally, please don’t forget to register for the AGM Livestream if you can’t make it to the hui. To register for the access link simply go to myevents.nz/rangitane/agm2020/ and enter your details.
Mā te wā
Nick