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September 17, 2021
Protect Aotea to appeal Environment Court decision
Kura Ratapu
Posted On September 17, 2021
Press Release
Protect Aotea to appeal Environment Court decision
Kelly Klink, Ngāti Rehua Ngāti Wai ki Aotea, Chairperson of Protect Aotea, states, “we will fight to protect our stance and appeal the Environment Court decision not to address all of Ngati Rehua’s concerns of the dredging and dumping as a one-class action.
We have been in the court system for the last three years fighting to protect our moana. For centuries, we lived intimately within our environment as caretakers and guardians; our people of Aotea (Ngāti Rehua Ngāti Wai ki Aotea) were known to freely move with the seasons to collect kai.”
A Minister of the Crown should not be making Regulations under the EEZ Act that preclude Māori and ignore our Rangatiratanga. In addition, the exclusion of full and proper participation by Māori is a breach of the duty of the Crown in the principle of “utmost good faith” in Te Tiriti.
The five non-notified dumpsites that surround Aotearoa are in breach of Te Tiriti principles – allowing consent applications to proceed without any consultation with tangata moana.
Protect Aotea is adamant that they will proceed with filing an appeal against the decision in the Environment Court which has found it cannot, in hearing our appeal against Ports of Auckland’s dredging consent under the RMA, consider the adverse effects of the consequent dumping of those dredging in the EEZ because of the Environmental Protection Authority has already granted a non-notified consent for that dumping under the EEZ Act. This is despite the Environment Court correctly finding that the effects of dumping dredged material in the EEZ are within the scope of the actual and potential effects on the environment of allowing the dredging activities.
ENDS
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