SPEECH: Te Ururoa Flavell - 16th International Symposium on Health Related Water Microbiology, WaterMicro 2011

This morning in the powhiri that formally welcomed you, our manuhiri, our visitors from outside of Te Arawa to our tribal lands, mention would have been made of our marae, our tribal homes.

We spoke of the iwi we trace our whakapapa from – our genealogy; the waka by which our ancestors travelled to Aotearoa; the mountains that border the geographical limits of our tribal lands.

And importantly in the context of this international symposium we made reference to the stretches of water that are encompassed within our tribal identity.

These expressions of our ancestral identity, will be familiar and consistent to whanau, hapū (subtribes) and iwi (tribes) right throughout this land. And in each and every one of our formal occasions, the sanctity of our waterways, our wai, will be a key reference.

Tangata whenua – literally the people of the land - perceive water as a taonga, a treasure, of central significance. It is indeed a crucial foundation to our identity – and who we are.

Ko Tiheia te maunga
Ko te Mimi o Pekehaua te awa
Ko Tarimano te papa tapu
Ko Rangiwewehi te Iwi

We see the wellbeing of our rivers, lakes and streams as an invaluable treasure which has been gifted by our tupuna, our ancestors, for the benefit and use of the descendants.

Tangata whenua take up responsibility for the protection, care and conservation of the water resource as implicit in our respect for kaitiakitanga.

Kaitiakitanga can be interpreted as the exercise of custodianship by an iwi or hapu over taonga within the tribal rohe. Upholding the value of kaitiakitanga encompasses obligations and responsibilities related to guardianship, custodial protection and advocacy.

The question confronting us all is how best the resource can be handed on to future generations in a similar condition.

The focus of WaterMicro 2011 is therefore of fundamental importance to our tribal health and development; specifically a few areas of mutual interest would be:

· water pollution and diseases;
· catchment protection and sanitation;
· climate change and water quality;
· recreational water and health;
· the epidemiology of waterborne diseases;
· microbial quality of shellfish growing areas,
· and the relationship between water and energy

I am indeed honoured to be addressing this international forum as one of the Members of Parliament of the Maori Party.

This is a really exciting time in New Zealand as countries across the globe compete for the prized Rugby World Cup. It has been inspiring to travel around and see all the supporters waving their national flags, wearing the colours of their teams, and celebrating in the richness of their own cultural traditions.

I hope that same enthusiasm can rub off in this forum – although I can understand it might well be a challenge to wave a flag for biological composition of storm-water or the campylobacter factor!


Before I go further, I want to just share some of the philosophy that drives our political party – the Maori Party.

In using the word Maori - the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand, maori in lower case letters- as it is in our logo, means natural. We are therefore a party which represents all New Zealanders while acknowledging our pride in indigenous values as our foundation.


Our party therefore is dedicated and influenced to uphold indigenous values, what we call kaupapa, to ensure our country maintains its natural beauty and is home for all New Zealanders.



One of these kaupapa I have already referred to: kaitiakitanga – the obligation of iwi to be responsible for the wellbeing the landscape including water and waterways. This is a responsibility which is intergenerational in nature.



The Maori Party in Parliament, has worked consistently to ensure protection of the health of the population and the health of our waterways is a vital item on the national agenda – iwi Maori must be involved in shaping and making decisions on that agenda.

Truth be known, all iwi are being challenged by water pollution and in particular 'diffuse pollution' such as run-off from land surfaces.

According to NIWA – the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, about 75% of the nitrogen and phosphorus runoff to the sea in New Zealand rivers originates from modified, mostly pastoral, land-use; leading to a general worsening in water quality over the last three decades despite considerable investment.

We believe it to be right and proper that rangatira-to-rangatira; leader to leader; discussion on water management issues takes place, on water ownership issues, and sustainability of our water resources.


Iwi have told us, that they want to be involved in setting strategic priorities at the national level. The Maori Party supports this intention, and considers that meaningful, Treaty based engagement with mana whenua should be central in the policy process.

As an example, it was a matter of great significance, that the Land and Water Forum, in launching their report in September 2010 (A fresh start for freshwater) promoted the need for improved structures and processes to improve the national direction and coordination, to better reflect the Treaty relationship with iwi.

The Land and Water Forum recommended that a national Land and Water Commission should be established as a co-governance model with iwi. The report also gave explicit encouragement to regional councils to engage with iwi about the way in which their water bodies are valued.

The report was put together by a forum of more than 180 groups which included five iwi/tribes: Ngai Tahu, Te Arawa, Tuwharetoa, Waikato-Tainui and Whanganui.

The report – and the process of developing it – promotes an environment in which iwi are invited and encouraged to participate, through an open relationship with regional councils and local authorities.



As I understand it, this Health-Related Water Microbiology Symposium has a particular interest in investigating a combined approach with the western world and the indigenous world’s views on how we all obtain safe water.



And if I could recommend one approach to you it would be the model we have applied in setting up the Environmental Protection Authority, the new government agency responsible for regulation of our environmental management.



This new organisation was established on 1 July 2011; and is governed by a board of seven members as well as a statutory Maori advisory committee, Nga Kaihautu Tikanga Taiao.



Of the seven members on the Board, two are Maori – Taria Tahana who stems from this area – Te Arawa and Ngati Pikiao as well as Anake Goodall, from Ngai Tahu.



The Maori Advisory Committee, Nga Kaihautu Tikanga Taiao, includes five members: chaired by Glenice Paine; and including Te Kei Merito, Darcia Solomon, James Ataria, and Dr Nick Roskruge.



It may be a mere five members but between them, they bring the combined collective leadership and expertise of Atiawa ki Taranaki, Ngati Tama, Rongomaiwahine, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngai Tahu, Rangitane, Te Atiawa, Ngati Kuia, Ngati Apa, Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toa, and Ngati Awa.



Not more than a month after the new Environmental Protection Authority was established, a Maori Environmental Management Hui was held at Pipitea Marae, for iwi/Māori, public sector organisations, industry and research groups to engage and explore issues of relevance to environmental management and decision making.



A pivotal element of this hui was debating the new strategy of engagement, how iwi and Maori can be involved in the Environmental Protection Authority – in its decision-making and activities.



Now it may appear that all I have talked about this morning is layers of committees, and hui, gatherings and statutory boards – but where are the results you might ask? What outcomes can we see?



I come back to your call for a combined approach with the western world and the indigenous world’s views on how we all obtain safe water.



We have a whakatauaki which sums up exactly why our involvement in all of these forum, and in fact at every level of responsibility, is so important.



Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero. Which in essence, means the art of rhetoric is the food of chiefs.



How else can we collaborate and work together unless we are talking together about the things that matter?



The Maori Party sees our key role in opening up the door, enabling whanau, hapu and iwi the opportunity to engage in the Treaty conversation that must be had such as in determining indicators of water quality. It is through sharing our ideas together that we believe our greatest influence can be revealed.



Finally, I want to give two local examples of how iwi perspectives can be actively incorporated in the processes of investigating water quality or identifying say waterborne infection risks.



I see that later today on the agenda is a session entitled “Munted : a Liquefaction Uprising” which is Wendy Williamson’s reflections on the massive earthquakes and ongoing aftershocks that we have experienced in Christchurch in September last year and February 22 this year. Megan Devane is also sharing her analysis of Earthquakes, Sewage And Rivers: An Infectious Combination.



The experience we have endured will of course be one well-known in many other nations across the globe, the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and radioactive leaks; and other natural disasters in Haiti, China, Spain, the enduring effects of Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami in Bali, and the floods in Queensland.



The aftermath and the impacts of the earthquakes upon our quality of life in New Zealand have been the prevailing concern for my colleague Rahui Katene, who is the local MP for Te Tai Tonga – of which Christchurch occupies a central place.



In fact just last Thursday she asked the Minister of Environment in questions in the House, what would be the consequences of establishing an earthquake demolition waste dump in the middle of residential Papanui and specifically what consultation has the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority had with the local iwi, Ngai Tahu?



The Minister replied that he would expect the local council and the regional council to give consideration to issues of dust, to contamination of stormwater coming off the site, and that affected parties should be consulted.



So I come back to Ngai Tahu as the local mana whenua.


In their document, He Huanui Ara Ake mō Waitaha – a pathway to recovery for Canterbury; Ngai Tahu refer to the multidimensional interests they reflect. They suggest that priority throughout the recovery must be the physical safety and well-being of people, then essential human needs and services, and then prioritisation of business and economy.

The built environment and infrastructure is critical to restore strong, safe and resilient essential services. In this context water supply, particularly in worst affected residential suburbs, must be a priority in safeguarding the wellbeing of the residents.



As part of this, Ngai Tahu expect that the recovery effort will ensure the people of Greater Christchurch have reliable and ongoing access to the best drinking water in the world. They place priority therefore on the appropriate use, reuse, treatment and disposal of water – whether in the context of potable drinking water, stormwater, grey water or wastewater.



Ngai Tahu have argued for the systematic restoration and development of the so-called “red zone” for recreation, tourism, ecology, flood management and stormwater treatment.

Residential red zone are areas where there is significant and extensive area wide land damage; most buildings are uneconomic to repair and there is a high risk of further damage due to liquefaction and lateral spreading from the ongoing series of aftershocks. In Ngai Tahu’s assessment these areas must be utilised and incorporated into disaster planning to future proof Christchurch against a range of natural hazards, including sea level rises – in other words the long term plan.

This is an aspect which we often see with iwi investments in economic ventures – the longterm vision.

And so another part of their strategy over and above the immediate health and wellbeing of the people is the reduction and prevention of waste and pollution to air, land and water. They advocate also for the minimisation of reliance on, and the improvement of, existing infrastructure, including investment and investigation into alternative water, wastewater, storm-water and energy systems – a brave new world where innovation is welcomed.

This is akin to what the Maori Party has promoted as the Genuine Progress Index where progress is seen not just along economic indices but also the wellbeing of physical, social, cultural and environmental spheres.

Ngai Tahu promotes, therefore, the investment in, and investigation of, technology, knowledge, products, infrastructure, buildings and management systems that are energy, water and resource efficient.

But they also refer to the natural environment –the restoration, protection and enhancement of indigenous flora, fauna, habitats, ecosystems, and biodiversity, particularly those associated with rivers and waterways, grasslands, estuaries, lowland podocarp forests and wetlands that were once evident in the area.



Closer to home, I want to conclude with reference with what we are trying to do here on the Te Arawa Lakes Trust, which I am a current trustee on.



The Trust has been established to receive, manage and administer the trust funds on behalf of and for the benefit of present and future members of Te Arawa as prescribed within the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Act 2006.



A key priority for us in managing the wellbeing of our lakes is the management of diffuse pollution including that from industrial estates, agricultural pollution, and the nutrient loads on lakes.



One of our ongoing projects is the Lakes Contaminant Health Risk Project Kai Moana, Kai Awa, Kai Roto.

This is a three year joint project between Te Arawa Lakes Trust, NIWA, Dr Gail Tipa; Ngāti Hokopu ki te Hokowhitu and Kai Tahu and funded by the New Zealand Health Research Council.

The research project is to investigate the contaminant levels and risk to Māori health associated with ‘wild kai' – that is food gathered from the sea (kai moana), rivers (kai awa), and lakes (kai roto).

The ultimate aim of the research is to improve Māori health by identifying, quantifying, and communicating the risks associated with the collection and consumption of wild kai. It builds on the relationships we have established with our aquatic environments, and how changes to the relationship we have with our water bodies have affected our spiritual and emotional health.


What I have tried to demonstrate this morning is that the dialogue between the Crown and iwi around water management, ownership, co-governance and co-management arrangements, and the relationship to kaitiakitanga, is one of the most significant debates that we expect to proceed in New Zealand over the next few years.



It must be a debate in which the Crown is able to recognize that iwi have interests across cultural, economic, environmental and social spheres.


Government must be open and transparent about any issues that inevitably impact on the Treaty relationship. Matters such as water consent allocation, the setting of limits for water quality and flows, water privatization, the transfer/trading of excess water are all issues which are open to exploitation and matters which iwi will have a keen interest in watching out for.

What we know too, is that the understandings that tangata whenua have around wai, or water as a taonga of paramount importance are consistent with perspectives shared with indigenous peoples the world over.

It is, therefore, of paramount importance activities that states work collectively with their indigenous peoples in considering the impact on the health and wellbeing of the waterways – and by logic – the health and wellbeing of all of the peoples.

And so as my endnote to this presentation I acknowledge the impact of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and in particular Article 25 and Article 32, as an excellent source of guidance for all nations in combining the western world and the indigenous world’s views on the safety and quality of water.

Tena tatou katoa

Authorised by Te Ururoa Flavell, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Note :

Article 25 : Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctive spiritual relationship with their traditionally owned or otherwise occupied and used lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other resources and to uphold their responsibilities to future generations in this regard.

Article 32: States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources