Te Ahu a Turanga Highway iwi lead Kingi Kiriona. Photo: RNZ/Pokere Paewai
Iwi in Manawatū are crediting part of the success of the new Te Ahu a Turanga Highway to a partnership between them and the NZ Transport Agency and are hopeful it can be a model for future infrastructure projects.
The 11.5 kilometer four-lane highway opened to the public on Wednesday, replacing the old State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge which closed in 2017 due to slips.
Kingi Kiriona was the iwi lead when the highway project began five years ago. At the beginning everything was a test and there were some testing times as a result, he said.
"Getting five iwi together is hard in and of itself, particularly if you know the iwi from here, and so getting everyone together at Board that was a challenge but I think a further challenge was realised when expectations were brought up at the table and there was no one within the leadership who could understand or even give effect to those expectations."
For everyone involved to persevere and see the vision become a reality deserves some recognition, he said.
In 2020 a target of a 30 percent Māori workforce on the project was set.
"I'm proud to say that actually a year after my appointment we were able to hit that, but of course in order to hit that we needed money, we needed resource, we needed people, so it was like the give that kept on giving. We started out with a Board, then we ended up with a kaiārahi, then we ended up with the first ever iwi outcomes team for any roading project in New Zealand," Kiriona said.
Having iwi on board helped to expedite a lot of things particularly when it came to consenting, he said.
Kiriona said Te Ahu a Turanga could 'absolutely' be a model for future infrastructure partnerships, but it wouldn't be easy.
"Every region, every iwi has their own dynamics but I'd like to think that if it can happen here it can happen in other places as well. And now that an exemplar has been realised I think there is a tauira (example) for the likes of other iwi and Waka Kotahi to follow.'
Representatives of five iwi groups from both sides of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges were involved, Rangitāne ki Manawatū, Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a rua, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Raukawa.
Ngāti Kauwhata spokesperson Meihana Durie was a part of the karakia during the formal opening. It was important for all the iwi to come together to recite the karakia and get the highway off to a good start, he said.
"He tauira pai pea tēnā mō ngā ara katoa o te motu nei kia kaua e haere tapatahi ki te mahi engari mē āta kōrero ki ngā iwi, ki ngā hapū. Whakaae katoa ngā iwi, ngā hapū ki te hanga o tēnei rori nō reira mātau katoa e tino harikoa ana i tēnei rā."
"This project might be a good example for other roading projects around the country to not go directly into the work but to speak first with the iwi. All the iwi, the hapū (in the region) agreed to the building of this road so we are all very happy today."
The Minister of Transport Chris Bishop was also present at the formal opening to cut the ribbon. He said the Government would be taking the learnings from the partnership for future projects.
"I think both NZTA and local representatives said it was a bit of an experiment, but it seems to have gone really well and obviously we'll take the learnings out of this for future projects," he said.
The Labour MP for Palmerston North, Tangi Utikere backed the partnership, calling it "trailblazing".
"It is the first in Aotearoa, New Zealand of this extent. I've been fortunate in my roles to visit on more then a few ocassions and you can really feel the sense of partnership and commitment to what's really important here. And as people travel through this piece of highway they will not just see it but I'm sure they will experience it as well."
Echoing the words of Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a rua kaumātua Manahi Paewai at the formal opening on Saturday, Kiriona said the 'true test of partnership has just begun.'
"It's easy to apply a five year timeframe to a partnership and see it through in this way, but actually what happens next?"
