The iwi are concerned by the "last-minute nature" of the council's need for a resource consent. Photo: LDR / Laura Smith
Iwi Māori protectors of Rotokākahi are deeply disappointed in the Environment Court's decision to resume construction of the remaining sewerage pipeline.
Rotokākahi Board of Control spokesperson Te Whatanui Leka Taumalolo Skipwith said Tuesday's decision has caused mamae (hurt), but fuels hapū and iwi to rally behind the kaupapa.
"We're disappointed, but not surprised. It's expected for us to have gone through this and to continue to have to fight in a system which is set up to kind of fail us, even though we're doing what is right, which is protecting the wāhī tapu and protecting the environment."
A hearing to consider the applications filed against Rotorua Lakes Council in relation to the final section of the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme was held before Judge Laurie Newhook and Deputy Commissioner Glenice Paine on 19 March. It was revealed on Tuesday that the Environment Court dismissed those applications.
Rotorua Lakes Council's contractors commenced construction of the reticulation line in April 2023 and have completed about 23km of the pipeline.
The remaining 1.4km of the pipeline that runs parallel to the Lake Rotokākahi riverbank is yet to be completed due to mana whenua from Tūhourangi and Ngāti Tūmatawera occupying a portion of the lake since January last year.
The area is wāhi tapu because of the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption that destroyed the Pink and White Terraces, buried surrounding villages, and claimed 120 lives.
Skipwith said the protesters, or protectors of the whenua, were not against the construction of the sewerage system and had previously provided two alternative routes to install the remaining section of the pipeline.
"Our iwi Tūhourangi, my auntie actually specifically, offered up some land on our Tūhourangi farm that we have within Tarawera to have an encatchment sewage treatment plant. Rotorua Lakes Council said 'no, it's going to be too expensive'," he alleged.
Instead, Skipwith said the iwi were concerned by the "last-minute nature" of the council's need for a resource consent which was allegedly filed only weeks ago, and the board will be pushing for a judicial review in high court.
The council said the work is permitted activity in the District Plan and does not require resource consent.
"They're utilising our tūpuna Lake Tarawera as the reason why they want this sewerage system coming through Rotokākahi, the cheapest option, which now it probably isn't."
During the Tarawera Road Raids on the night of 24 February, police arrested seven occupants of the site without charge. Skipwith said it was a peaceful night where his "whānau were sitting on their own whenua around a fire, having karakia, and singing waiata".
"I also had to prepare because we had 80 of our whānau members that were on the whenua with us, majority of them wāhine and children. Our wāhine and our children were scared but angry because the police were standing, five metres away from where our lakeside pā and that is Māori Land Court-based Māori land to be very specific.
"The police were ready to try and pull us out of our whenua, chuck us into their vans and move us off our own whenua."
Due to the police blocking the Tarawera Road - the only entry and exit to the site - mana whenua had eight boats taking people across the lake to Rotokākahi.
"It's 2025, and this is something that our tūpuna went through, it's actually not okay.
"Our people have been here forever and our people are not leaving. It's mō āke tonu - even when those pipes, wherever they are now and they wither away to dust, still be in the whenua, our expectation is that our mokopuna, their mokopuna will still be here to safeguard that wāhī tapu and that urupā."
Infrastructure and environment group manager Stavros Michael said the decision will enable the council to install the remaining one kilometre of pipeline left to complete stage one of the project and work will restart as soon as possible.
"We're obviously pleased with the outcome of the Environment Court while acknowledging there will be ongoing concerns held by some," Michael said.
"There have been significant delays in completing the section of pipeline past Lake Rotokākahi which has unfortunately also added to the cost of the scheme so we are keen to get it completed as soon as we can. Planning for that will get underway immediately."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
