May 28, 2021
Planner questions "blunt" use of SNA rules
An experienced Māori planner says significant natural areas should be used by councils as a last resort with Māori land.
There is currently uproar in Te Taitokerau over the Far North District Council’s proposals to restrict development on large tracts of Māori land as SNAs because of their remaining forests or wetlands.
Vaughan Payne, who has held planning and chief executive roles at Ōpōtiki and Waikato Regional Council, says SNAs fall under the Resource Management Act, which is now 30 years old and seen as a blunt tool which is set for reform or replacement.
He says the Act isn’t just about protection, but also talks about use and development and wellbeing.
"The council needs to recognise the relationship of Māori with their ancestral taonga, their land, their water, their forests. Do you need SNAs on Māori land because of that kaitiaki role? Is the council able to achieve what it wants to achieve through a partnership approach? Is it recognising under Te Tiriti the development rights that Māori have?" Mr Payne says.
He says councils should support iwi to design their own long term management plans.
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