February 05, 2024
Mahi and goodwill wasted in RMA roll back
Green Party list MP Huhana Lyndon says while the focus of Waitangi has been about Te Tiriti, the Government is also scrapping other initiatives which are important to Māori.
Before entering parliament Ms Lyndon organised protests against the Far North District Council’s plan to designate large areas of Māori land a significant natural areas.
She says as a result of that response, the national policy statement on indigenous biodiversity was reworded to allow Māori landowners to come up with their own taonga plans for their whenua setting out which land to rahui and which to develop,
The Government’s roll back of the Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Act means that work is lost.
“You know they’re agreeable for what they are, but its not rangatiratanga, you know I’m very clear on that, because its
kawanatanga space. And I mihi to the many hands that contributed to the drafting of these bills and policies – but its all for nothing,” Ms Lyndon says.
Getting Te Tiriti o Waitangi right, would be a major step forward in addressing so many issues affecting not just Māori, but all New Zealanders.