ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION
Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trust
Waiotapu Office
PO Box 162, Reporoa 3060
Ph: (07)366-6177
Mob: (022) 6581153
Email: [email address]
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
PO Box 364
Whakatane 3158
29 September 2021
Resource Consent Application for Rainbow Mountain Renewable Energy Ltd
From Te Waiheke o Huka (Huka Falls) to the south, we extend east to our pouwhenua at Ngapuketerua beyond the
Rangitaiki River, then northward across the plains of Kaingaroa to Wairapukao and further on to Pekepeke. From here
we extend to our northern pouwhenua at Maunga Kakaramea, turning west to the Paeroa Range and on to Orakei
Korako on the banks of the Waikato River, the birth place and principal papakainga of Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa. From
Orakei Korako we extend further west to Pohaturoa, an ancient pa site.
These are the pouwhenua, the geographical
marker points that describe the rohe in which Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa is recognised as an iwi with mana whenua.
The Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (of which Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa is an affiliate) has its origins in the settlement of
historical claims for Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa (of which Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa is also an affiliate). Under the Te
Pumautanga Settlement Deed (11 June 2008), the Crown recognised the interests of Te Arawa River Iwi in the Waikato
River and its environs, from Huka Falls to Pohaturoa. The Crown undertook to provide co-management arrangements
in recognition of their interests, which were to be no less than those provided to Waikato-Tainui. This is formally
recognised by the Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Act 2010.
The following is a map showing the Te Arawa River Iwi Trust area of interest which can also be found on th
e Te Arawa
River Iwi Trust website.
Ka ora te iwi – Ka ora te tangata
Also through Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa, Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa is an affiliate to other settlement process within
the Bay of Plenty Regional Council boundary including the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Settlement Act 2008 and
the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Act 2008.
Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa take an active role in environment matters within their rohe through the Ngati Tahu-Ngati
Whaoa Runanga Trust (the Runanga), who is the mandated iwi authority for the tribe. The Runanga provide this letter
as evidence of support for the resource consent application Rainbow Mountain Renewable Energy Ltd. The Runanga
has and will continue to engage with the applicant and have reviewed the draft assessment of environmental effects
document that will accompany the application. Based on proposed activities included in the document and the ongoing
engagement between our two entities we are in support of the application being approved subject to meeting all
consent conditions set by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and/or the Rotorua Lakes Council.
Maunga Kakaramea (Rainbow Mountain) and its surrounding lakes and waters are of the utmost significance to the
iwi of Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa and we look forward to working with the applicant to ensure that our taonga is kept
safe from harm during the development and then operation of this project.
The applicant has also been supplied with our accidental finds protocol in the unlikely event that koiwi should be
discovered during earthworks on the site (as noted in the AEE) and we request that this be made a consent condition
on all consent applications granted.
Naku noa, na
Michelle Phillips
Environmental Resource Consents Officer
Ngati Tahu-Ngati Whaoa Runanga Trust
Ka ora te iwi – Ka ora te tangata
