Te Runanga O NgaiTakoto Kaimaumau / Mekerene Land Use Strategies

Land Use Strategy Kaimaumau The Kaimaumau Block, previously Sovereign Station, is a 946 hectare of mainly scrub- covered gum land sand and peat swamp near Kaimaumau, north of Rangaunu Harbour. In 2014 the iwi of NgaiTakoto purchased back the Mekerene block, a culturally significant land for our people; one that had been lost in grievance for over 40years. With the return of our land comes an opportunity to determine for ourselves how we will best utilise the land and how that will best meet the needs of our people of today and tomorrow; economically, socially, environmentally and culturally. The opportunities identified to date are unique to the property, climate, soil, and people of that land. Investigations include:

!Manuka Plantation / Honey Harvesting

Manuka / Indigenous oil extraction

Speciality Horticulture

Beef Farming

Kauri/Peat Extraction

Eco-Tourism

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!A recent “Kaimaumau Whole of Farm Assessment Report” (AgFirst/Ministry of Primary Industries) identifies potential land uses as being; the potential for mining for the extraction of resin, swamp kauri logs, other products within the peat, or speciality crop market gardening. These potential land uses may be able to justify the consent procedure and the costs of complying with consent conditions. Pastoral farming or market gardening could then follow as a means of using the restored land providing the ground water tables are sufficiently controlled.

The land was managed by the Lands and Survey Department and then Department of Conservation before being sold to neighbouring landholders and subsequently purchased back by NgaiTakoto. This property encompasses nearly one-quarter of the 4,075 hectare Kaimaumau - Motutangi wetlands, recognised as having both regionally and nationally significant gum land, heath, and peat bogs and habitat values.

Due to the cost of drainage and land development on these difficult soil types, the land has remained undeveloped. Not only are the opportunities outlined below complimentary, but in many cases they would not be feasible without the initial opportunity and investment presented by RWL.

At present discussions are been held with various interested parties and some initial land use assessments have been done with regards to the potential opportunities that the land could be used for. As the block has only recently been purchased it does not have an established farming system; but the iwi would like to explore options.

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“We are looking at long term, sustainable land use strategies. Diversity grows our income & investments, but more significantly our people through education, training and employment.”

Many of these opportunities will be developed in partnership with third parties who will choose to invest money, skills, experience and long term efforts into our space. At this time nothing is conclusive but discussions are only for the purposes of identifying potential opportunities for NgaiTakoto and our people.

Some alternative land uses may be considered in the short term, while other options are further investigated and consents obtained, for in the long term.

Alternative Land Use Options:

Resin-Wax: The RWL proposal presents NgaiTakoto with profitable land use solutions such as the extraction of resins, wax’s and swamp kauri logs, and other potential products within the peat. The higher value of the resin product, scale and long term duration of the RWL project make it potentially feasible to not only consider the development of the extraction plant and facilities, but also the potential for other opportunities that feed into and from, this initial project.

Manuka / Medicinal Oil extraction: The growing and extracting of health or medicinal products, in particular oils from indigenous plant species, is possibly and potentially compatible with the Resin-Wax extraction project. The Resin extraction plant details extraction capability and market potential for oils such as Lavendar or Sage in the US. We are investigating apiculture farming of manuka (honey/oils) and horticulture, avocado’s (fruit/ oil) and the potential ability to process these onsite within the RWL plant. The AgFirst report also notes indigenous oil extraction (manuka/kumeraho) as compatible with the long term management of part of the property as a scientific or ecological reserve and the development of our Eco-Tourism opportunity. The Iwi context is the sustainable use of our land resources and improving upon the current condition of the land within the Mekerene area.

Eco-Tourism: The property is recorded as the second-most significant wetland within Northland and is home to a number of rare and endangered plant and animal species. We have already started discussions with Department of Conservation about developing Eco-tourism trails, and activity products that explore the wetland, gum field habitat and build in and connect with other tourism assets within NgaiTakoto (Waipapakauri Ramp Beach Park) and the Te Hiku iwi tourism strategy; such as Te Oneroha A Tohe, Te Rerenga Wairua. The Scientific or Ecological Reserve status could be assigned to part of the property and from there further scientific, educational, and eco tourism opportunities are developed.

Horticulture - Speciality Crop market gardening - Parts of the property had previously been dug over for swamp kauri logs and stumps and an attempt made to establish pasture and crops. This work was conducted poorly and ceased in early 2014 due to unnecessary damage to the overall ecosystem, but land clearing and speciality crop propagation would resume under a tighter and controlled RWL opportunity, on a rotational basis. We are already in discussion with local producers and harvesters of Honey, Manuka and Avocados and are looking to expand relationships, land size and potential on the block and in conjunction with the consideration for eco-tourism activities.

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Beef Farming - NgaiTakoto have partnered with Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) in their assessment of a number of beef farms in a Te Hiku-wide beef strategy. Kaimaumau has been identified as a potential property, with the Resin Wax operation making the cost of developing the land highly, or potentially feasible. Again the sustainable rearing, finishing and processing of Beef is something that may provide food, jobs and positive outcomes for our people.

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“Our people have a legitimate right to an environment that is adequate for healthy living and wellbeing. The objective for any tribal authority that holds a responsibility to do with our environments and its resources, is to ensure that management of such meets the needs of NgaiTakoto people of today without compromising the heritage of

future NgaiTakoto generations, as to their needs, tomorrow. …”

!Our intention is to support the potential for the Resin Wax proposal, and the NgaiTakoto iwi will contribute into this space the commitment to working with parties to help develop the opportunities that may exist in a co-ordinated and manageable way. This will include support for Resource Consent applications, Cultural Impact Assessments, and maintaining a high-profile-overview of the environmental processes and standards for conformity, to ensure that those standards are either sustained or enhanced to levels that are acceptable to NgaiTakoto and the iwi membership.

We are committed to working alongside third parties and partners, and our communities, to generate support and participation in achieving those outcomes either sought, or desired.

We have been engaged with the Resin Wax Limited throughout the development of the proposal and are prepared to commit where required, to progressing this project forward.

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