Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust chair Liana Poutu says everyone is excited and reflective today, with the health and well-being of the tūpuna maunga paramount.
Later today, the second and third readings of Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua / Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill will pass, granting the tūpuna maunga legal personhood.
A co-governance board, alongside the Department of Conservation and iwi, will care for the maunga and legally advocate on its behalf.
Poutu says they want their tūpuna to thrive in te taiao.
“What this is about is appointing a body which becomes the face and voice of those maunga, and that body becomes the body responsible for their health and well-being going forward. And I think when you look at it from that perspective, we strip away, you know, all of these preconceived ideas of co-governance, this is about giving a voice to our maunga about how they are to be treated going forward, and how they are to be looked after and protected,” says Poutu.
