Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust welcomes the news that Te Ārai South Precinct and Regional Park Integrated Development Plan has been listed as a project for the Fast Track Approvals Bill. 

The project is an integrated development of Te Ārai Precinct, which includes the development of land-based aquaculture, residential and commercial development, and parkland improvement including safe and convenient public access to the regionally significant Te Ārai Regional Park.

“For Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust, Te Ārai South is a manifestation of mana motuhake: pure and simple,” says Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust Chair, Terrence ‘Mook’ Hohneck.

“It allows us to advance our social and cultural interests but is also a step towards us beginning to fully realise the commercial redress opportunities of the land, returned through the settlement process, to the benefit of Ngāti Manuhiri.”

The plan includes staged development of up to 420 residential and retirement living units including the establishment of affordable Ngāti Manuhiri housing.

Central to the Integrated Development Plan is mitigating the environmental impact and supporting the ecological, archaeological and landscape values of the site. This includes carefully placing development to limit effects on the coastline, and ensuring that the land is protected against instability, erosion and the discharge of sediment into the environment.

“We know that bold steps are needed to undertake development in a way that is also environmentally conscious and the ability to expedite consents and permissions for environmental remediation have a great deal of appeal,” says Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust Chief Executive, Nicola MacDonald.

“For example our plan involves sensitive management of the seawater take and discharge necessary to support on-land aquaculture activities to avoid any adverse effects on coastal water quality. Furthermore the land is vegetated in exotic plantation pine forests that exhibit limited ecological values,” says MacDonald.

In its submission to the Environment Select Committee in April, the operational arm of the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust—Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust—called for improved checks and balances on fast track projects noting that it had long advocated for the importance of sustainable practices for infrastructure and development projects. The Trust said the process was at risk of overlooking critical environmental considerations and could overturn well examined judicial findings.

“We are pleased to see the government take heed of these concerns, particularly its changes to how applicants gain approval. The use of an independent panel, which seeks comment from the applicant and directly affected groups, and can then approve or decline the project, is a more robust process than allowing ministers to have final sign off,” says MacDonald.

It is estimated that Te Ārai South Precinct and Regional Park Integrated Development Plan will contribute in excess of $2.0 billion of value to the Auckland and Northland economies. This includes local worker accommodation for employees at the Tara Iti and Te Ārai golf links course, associated hospitality operations and related residential subdivision and development.

“There are approximately 300 staff employed by the Tara Iti and Te Ārai Links golf course operations and this is expected to grow as development of Te Ārai takes place,” says Hohneck.

“We’re looking forward to progressing our application and seeing the benefits that this development will bring to the people of Ngāti Manuhiri, our community and to Aotearoa,” he says.

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