Hikoi for Protection of Waikawa Bay

On Saturday November 20 the families and supporters for the protection of Waikawa Bay will hikoi.

We walk in peace and with hope that our actions will bring a change to a mindset that has swept aside our views and desires, in pursuit of potential economic gains.

We walk for our ancestors and the ancestors of all in this region who laboured to make this special kind of paradise, a home.

We walk for the young who have a lifetime ahead of them to enjoy this natural resource, this taonga, and we march for the generations that will follow.

We march for the memories we share of these shores.

We think of our great great grandparents who walked away from their safe harbour near Picton, who were forced out to Waikawa because the lands of their then homes were coveted by others.

And we walk in solidarity with those who share our passion for Waikawa, who like us are tangata whenua, the people of this land. We unite in the aim to protect this haven from those who see only the opportunity for commercial exploitation and gain.

We will hikoi to our marae and we welcome all who wish to join us. Come, take in the beauty of this place, listen to the whai korero of its history and the reasons why we march to protect it.

The hikoi is a demonstration, in a peaceful way, of the love for a rare way of life that others are seeking to change forever. They want to extend a marina so that further boats can berth and use our Marlborough Sounds.

We are aghast at plans to increase the number of boat berths by 250 in the short-term and a push for a further 250 berths in the medium term. Changes to mooring rules will also cause great harm.

These changes will destroy our seafood beds and our fisheries. They will deny our children their right to kai moana and deprive our guests. These proposals threaten our heritage, our cultural and spiritual connection to Waikawa.

By Waikawa Marae members, Sue Buchanan, Rita Powick and Bentham Ohia
Date: 17 October, 2010

We have long held concerns over ongoing development at Waikawa Bay . To keep adding marina space and boats is environmentally destructive and unsustainable.

We do not oppose progress but in this case we have a duty as guardians of Waikawa Bay to protect its natural gifts. So we march to oppose the actions of the local government that seek to change our way of life.

We are not being unreasonable. Many local bodies around New Zealand , which seek to protect their waterways, have strict rules on marinas and mooring. These are designed to preserve the environment and natural beauty.

We live in a world too often driven by pursuit of the dollar. It is a short-term mindset. Waikawa is a place of beauty and its value cannot be measured in monetary terms. It takes true leadership to understand the importance of such a distinction.

We call for such leadership now. We call on our friends to join us in our walk, to stand beside us as we seek to stop this destruction.

ENDS

© Scoop Media