Te Ohu Kaimoana will continue its work with iwi to develop an indigenous led approach to a relationship with the moana, but is pleased with the Government’s announcement today to remove the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill from its order paper; a move that will ensure that iwi treaty settlement rights will not be extinguished in FMA10.
At a Special General Meeting of Te Ohu Kaimoana held on 13 June 2023, iwi voted to reject the Crown’s proposal to establish the sanctuary and instead pursue what an indigenous led approach to a relationship with the moana would look like.
As part of its briefing to the new Government, Te Ohu Kaimoana promoted that the Bill should be removed from Parliamentary business, in favour of jointly designed initiatives for oceans health. However, since the appointments of Ministers’ Jones and Simmonds, Te Ohu Kaimoana has had no interactions with either minister regarding the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill.
Following the Special General Meeting in 2023, Te Ohu Kaimoana has hosted two wānanga with iwi to help devise what an indigenous led approach to a relationship with the moana might look like and are encouraged by how things are progressing – but acknowledge there is still work to do and will require as much time as it needs.
Te Ohu Kaimoana was made aware of the announcement this morning via the media, after the public release from Government.
