Hapū sees lead role in Waitara climate plan

Detailed summary

A Waitara hapū wants to help lead the response to climate change risks in the town. Waitara has been assessed as most at risk from climate change impacts across New Plymouth -…

A Waitara hapū wants to help lead the response to climate change risks in the town.

Waitara has been assessed as most at risk from climate change impacts across New Plymouth - particularly flooding.

New Plymouth District Council approved a draft Resilience, Energy and Climate Action Plan for public consultation in August. Otaraua - one of the hapū with mana whenua in Waitara - says it supports the draft plan but should help lead the response from the beginning.

At a hearing on Thursday, hapū representative Donna Eriwata told councillors the plan talked about partnership but did not define what it meant.

The plan needed to be changed to establish shared governance, Eriwata said.

"Otaraua seeks confirmation that no scope, procurement process, technical methodology, governance structure or reviewed adaptation pathway for Waitara will be approved without the early and properly resourced participation of Otaraua hapū," she said.

The draft plan includes provision for "tactical support" to the community to deal with climate change, natural hazard and energy issues.

The hapū submission called for specific measures such as solar and battery support for community welfare hubs and marae, nature-based solutions, indigenous planting, wetland restoration, and ecological corridors.

Eriwata also highlighted energy affordability, household resilience, water security and insurance risk as well as impacts on Waitara River and the surrounding environment and coast.

Opening of the article, excerpted from RNZ. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.