Whenua inspection project underway
Since the devastating impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on whenua Māori and communities, Te Tumu Paeroa has been connecting with local and regional councils, government agencies and business and industry groups to identify ways to share insights and ensure the voice of whenua Māori and Māori landowners is included in cyclone recovery planning.
“It is imperative that we have a clear understanding of the full impact on the whenua and the flow-on effect the damage will have for Māori whānau, communities and the businesses that utilise the whenua,” says Dr Charlotte Severne, Māori Trustee.
This week, Te Tumu Paeroa is beginning its damage assessment programme that will see over 1,300 whenua Māori blocks undergo in-field inspections. This includes whenua administered by the Māori Trustee as well as approximately 680 unadministered Māori land blocks that the Māori Land Court has appointed Te Tumu Paeroa to conduct inspections for.
This programme of work aims to help inform decision making and will be used for recovery and climate adaptation options planning, including assessing what is needed to restore whenua Māori to a productive state.
Te Tumu Paeroa has engaged technical specialists to work alongside its kaimahi on the ground and behind the scenes with desktop analysis using data from geographic information systems (GIS).
The inspections will take place in clusters across Te Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa regions. It is expected that the first set of block inspections will be completed in mid-July.
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