Kia ora koutou,
Last week a water right for a proposed vineyard in a property with known archaeological sites was declined by an Independent Commissioner appointed by the Council. Our request for an archaeological survey before development takes place was accepted. This has set a precedent for Marlborough as most of the archaeology and wāhi tapu sites in this rohē are unlisted. The decision supports our position in our submission to the MDC Environmental Plan that unlisted archaeology and wāhi tapu sites must be recognised before development can take place.
The Blenheim Sewage Treatment Plant resource consent conditions require a performance review 10 years after commencement. This is a key part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Marlborough District Council and ourselves. The outfall into the Wairau estuary has been a huge concern for our people for many years now. Our Trustees met with Mayor John Leggett and CE Mark Wheeler at the end of August to commence consultation on the Sewage Treatment Plant and a review of the options affecting the outfall.
In the social services space, we have found arranging events whilst managing alert level restrictions to be challenging. To help minimise the impact of the restrictions on our AGM (10 October) we will be livestreaming this year’s hui. This will also ensure our whānau living outside the rohe have the opportunity to take part. Could you please register for the livestream if you are unable to attend in person by simply clicking here and entering your details. A link will be emailed to you a week prior to the AGM.
Our Mātauranga team has organised a luncheon for Rangitāne o Wairau tertiary students to come together to meet each other and the team, and to discuss how we can better support their academic aspirations. The luncheon will take place at Restaurant 88 in Wellington on Sunday, 20 September at 12pm. There are limited seats so please register by emailing events@rangitane.org.nz or phone (03) 578 6180 by Thursday, 17 September.
Voting papers for the Trust election will be mailed out to iwi members 18 and over next Thursday. There are three Trustee positions, two full-term positions, and one extraordinary position (1yr term). We have excellent candidates and this is your chance to have your say by casting your vote.
I would like to remind those of you who have booked for Anton Matthews FUSH ‘n Chips night next Tuesday that kai will be served between 5-6pm. This event is hosted by Rangitāne as our contribution to the community for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. It’s going to be an entertaining evening and the kai is amazing.
Finally, this Saturday we’ll be in the maara kai at Tuamātene planting vegies. There will be a barbeque lunch and the first 10 families will receive a grafted tomato plant to take home. We also have cabbages and cauliflower ready to harvest. The weather forecast is looking good, I hope you can make it.
Mā te wā
Nick