July 02, 2015
Ranginui hapu angry at Rena surrender
Ngati Ranginui hapu are trying to reverse a decision of their tribal board not to contest an application by the owners of the Rena to leave what's left of the wreck on Otaiti-Astrolabe Reef.
Hapu member Buddy Mikaere says there were some very angry people at a hui at Huria Marae yesteday, with calls for the board to tear up the agreement and lodge an objection at September's resource consent hearing.
He says the runanga doesn't appear to have got independent advice before signing the agreement, and it failed to consult with its hapu.
"They are saying they are looking in their agreement, and we will not know what the agreement is until two years out, they are looking in that agreement to build capacity within the iwi. The response to that was 'look at the price you are asking us to pay, the loss of our mana and the loss of our integrity in this whole thing,'" Mr Mikaere says.
He says a lot of the iwi's income comes from its fisheries assets, so it it hard to see how the runanga can justify a situation that threatens that.
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