Latest news with #NgarimuBlair
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
CRL awards NZ$152m to Māori and Pasifika businesses but ‘true equity' remains elusive
Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel By Mary Afemata, Local Democracy Reporter, PMN Auckland City Rail Link (CRL) must deliver for Māori and Pacific communities that rely heavily on public transport, the Whātua Ōrākei says. This comes as City Rail Link awards contracts worth $152 million to Māori and Pasifika businesses, according to CRL's latest social outcomes report. But Ngarimu Blair, the deputy chairman of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, says genuine partnerships and equity are still out of reach, emphasising the importance of CRL delivering benefits for Pacific and Māori communities. As Auckland's $5.5 billion project nears completion in 2026 , Blair highlights the need for fair access, cultural visibility, and lasting economic benefits for all. He says Auckland is still a long way from achieving true partnership in this major transport project. At an exclusive event on Friday, politicians, mana whenua, and project partners boarded the first test train at Maungawhau Station to travel through New Zealand's 3.45-kilometre underground tunnels. Blair described the ride as "an auspicious event" after decades of planning, political effort, and technical work. He says infrastructure projects like the CRL can help lift Auckland following a slow post-Covid recovery. "This station's looking really cool. It's got subtle reflections of our Polynesian Māori design, so people, when they come here, know they're in Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa in the South Pacific. "We hope it will kickstart Auckland again. Infrastructure like this is a key plank for the economy to move people around." CRL chief executive Patrick Brockie says the project has exceeded its procurement targets for Māori and Pasifika suppliers. "We've been very passionate around procurement using Māori and Pasifika businesses, and with our graduate programme, we're building career paths for rangatahi," Brockie says. "We've procured over $155 million from Māori and Pasifika businesses, and that doesn't include the subcontracts they've been involved in with our lead contractors. Even when we reached some of the targets that we had for procurement, the contractors went beyond that." Blair says more Māori and Pacific firms are positioning themselves for major contracts, but ownership of the biggest assets remains a challenge. He says equity also means providing people with genuine transportation options. "We're not where we need to be. We don't own the tunnel-boring company, we don't own the trains, we don't own the companies that have all the diggers. More money in our pockets as 'aiga, as families and as individuals makes life easier at home. We're still not there, but that's where we've got to get to. "The more we have projects like this, the busways, cycleways and so on, the equity comes with that. Those are much more choices than just having to buy a car, maintain it, pay the road user charges and the mechanics' fees." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the CRL will facilitate more frequent journeys from the south and west into the city, supported by a $50 weekly fare cap. "That makes it affordable, accessible, frequent, all those things that we want people in Auckland to enjoy, including in the south." Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, who claims he introduced the fare cap, says it coincides with rising driving costs. "The costs of public transport are coming down. From an equitable point of view, it's going to be good news for those people who use more and more public transport." Dean Kimpton, the chief executive of Auckland Transport, says the CRL will create a more reliable and connected network. "This is a game-changer. It's about unlocking the potential of the rail network so people can travel more directly, more often, and with greater confidence." Blair believes the CRL will make a major difference in daily life. "My local station's Glen Eden out west. Currently it's 55 minutes. After this opens, that ride will go from 55 minutes to 25 minutes. More time means more time for family, more time for thinking on the train about the day ahead." Brockie says South Auckland passengers will gain direct access to central destinations without the need for transfers. "If you're coming from South Auckland, you can go straight through to Karangahape, Maungawhau or Waitematā without having to transfer. "Go to the rugby, a restaurant or a concert without getting off and walking. It's going to save time and make these areas more accessible, both for work and socially." Brockie says mana whenua have had "a massive influence" on the design and storytelling at CRL stations. "It's not just a building. Each site has its own story, and they're all very special." Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa ward councillor Christine Fletcher says the station's cultural elements, including artwork and the presence of mana whenua, reflect "the sensitivity to the maunga", which she finds beautiful. When asked about the significance of the CRL, especially concerning public transport's connections to affordability, reliability, and safety, Fletcher says: "Well, we often think of public transport in terms of function, but it's also about people. While you're on the train, you take in your surroundings. When I take my moko's, they notice this too. It's part of who they are, where they're going, and their life journey. "This is an emotional day for me. Although there are still 16,000 tests to complete before opening, I believe Pasifika can feel proud of this. During the design phase, Pauline Winter from the Pasifika community helped define what Auckland might be. This project truly lives and breathes that spirit, and I think it's fantastic for the future." Blair encourages Aucklanders to be patient as the city develops its transport network. "We're building the network still as a city. There's been years of underinvestment. There's just not enough infrastructure. A lot of our people have relied on public transport over the years. I'd say hang in there, stick with it. Projects like this will, on the surface anyway, look like a new era and a new standard of service. What's the alternative? Sitting in a car for an hour or more at times. We're getting there, but there is a long way to go. Acknowledge that." Brown believes the new Maungawhau Station should become a hub for urban living. "The big project here is to create almost a city of people right here at Maungawhau, we want entertainment, food, groceries. So there's a little town here, so these people don't have to jump in cars. They're right on top of a place to get around." Luxon says the Government is already working to attract overseas partners to invest in infrastructure and development along the CRL corridor. "We held the Infrastructure Investment Summit here in Auckland, we were able to bring in people from all around the world with capital that actually want to partner with us to build out that infrastructure." - PMN
The Spinoff
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
We shouldn't have to fight this hard to prove our mana in Tāmaki
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair reflects on a hard-fought Environment Court battle, and what the ruling on Westhaven Marina really means for tangata whenua. While there was major gratitude for the success of my iwi in the recent decision from the Environment Court regarding the Westhaven Marina, it was tinged with some sadness. Sadness the action needed to be taken, requiring significant cost and time to fight a process that challenged the very essence of my iwi – our status as tangata whenua of central Auckland. But there was also immense sadness at the unnecessary conflict the Crown and council consultation and settlement process forces on my people, plus the devastation it has had on some formerly close and collegial relationships. The judge asked me why I thought there was so much competition for our rohe. I responded that no one wanted it 100 years ago, but when iwi are forced to fight for the crumbs of the Treaty settlement process, this is what happens. However, it doesn't need to be like this. It is incredibly disappointing that court action was required again to confirm what almost everyone with passing knowledge of and connection to Tāmaki Makaurau knows – that my people, through devastating loss and harrowing adversity, has hard-earned our place as tangata whenua of central Auckland. My people can look across from our marae in Ōrakei to the very development at the heart of this dispute – a dispute where Crown and council policy enabled an action that we had no option but to oppose. This is an ongoing reality for us. The court decision resulted from action taken in response to resource consent obtained by Eke Panuku Development Auckland from the council to expand Westhaven Marina. Conditions required engagement with 19 listed mana whenua groups through a forum. Originally 19 Pou Whenua for each 'mana whenua' were proposed, along with transferring the title of the reclaimed area to the Tāmaki Collective, not to ourselves. Such council action challenges the immense sacrifices of my tūpuna, a challenge that says our centuries of hard-fought occupation, and the immense sacrifice and loss required for our people to keep our home fires burning here in central Tamaki Makaurau, meant nothing: That our kaumātua had no more authority to speak on the whenua at the heart of this dispute than those whose marae are more than 100km away. The court acknowledged the connection of Ngāi Tuperiri of Ngāti Whātua ki Tāmaki to Westhaven through take raupatu, take tūpuna, take tuku whenua, and ahi kā – the pillars that uphold mana for all iwi and hapū across the motu. 'We are struck at just how little evidence there is of use and occupation by any of the [other] parties of the lands and waters around Westhaven over the past 200 or more years,' the decision said. The Marutuahu traditional expert explained that according to their tikanga, we have been keeping their fires warm for them on their behalf as they base themselves in the Hauraki-Thames district. A unique tikanga indeed. The court's decision came last Friday, on the same day we farewelled one of our own, Clay Hawke – a beloved stalwart of our iwi. His tangi was large and filled with aroha. It was there, among our grieving whānau, that our chair, Marama Royal, stood and read the court's summary decision. Despite the sorrow that brought us together, a cheer rippled through the gathering. Not of triumph, but of affirmation. The decision was tika and pono – right and just. It acknowledged the mana of our ancestors, the work of those who have preserved our tikanga, our knowledge of this whenua and waters, and the immense sacrifice of so many to uphold our place here. It acknowledged my cousin Clay who we had laid to rest. For me, I hope this decision begins a change. A change that stops incentivising others to claim equal say with those who clearly are the tangata whenua of a rohe, those who have generations of knowledge to inform their understanding, and place as kaitiaki for their rohe. The value of the whenua where my people live is both a blessing and a curse. No other iwi experiences the incursions and claims into their rohe like my iwi. However, the wealth and power of central Auckland has also allowed my people to regain some resources to help nurture and support our own, to try and undo some of the devastation and exclusion that colonisation unleashed on my iwi, as a consequence of being surrounded by Aotearoa's largest city. We will work with the council to undo and walk back their adversarial policy, and seek a return to the collegiality that existed with our neighbouring iwi prior to the settlement process for my iwi. In some cases, this journey of reconnection, of rekindling whanaungatanga, has already begun. The deep adversity endured by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei has honed our patience, our humility, our understanding of the need to fight as hard as we can, but also seek peace and reconnection with those who share our aspirations. We have our investment vehicle, Te Tomokanga ki Tāmaki, so others can access opportunities here through the front door. A number of iwi have already committed to our first development – a twin tower project in the CBD. There will be more for those willing to acknowledge us as the home people. Thank you to the Environment Court, for bringing this sorry process to an end. Thank you to those among the 19 iwi who did acknowledge our status as tangata whenua. Thank you to my people for being so strong and supportive, it is our unity that is our greatest strength. To our neighbouring iwi who we faced in court, let us begin the process of understanding and a return to the times of our past. As iwi Māori we have so much more that unites us, than stands us apart.
NZ Herald
20-06-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Mahi with Māori: commercial development projects that succeeded, struggled or failed
They show situations where developers either worked with tangata whenua, or places where there was trouble. At the end, two experts offer commentary on what they see as guides for success and what must happen for projects to work. Precinct and Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei - Pumanawa Downtown West The twin tower development is guided by tīkanga Māori, the developers said when they released plans this year. Photo: Supplied / Precinct Properties NZX-listed Precinct Properties and Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei formed a partnership which could see the pair go sky high. Two towers, one a quarter of a kilometre high, are being planned in a multibillion-dollar exercise. Ngarimu Blair, Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei Trust board deputy chairman, says the two have a shared goal to create a great CBD in the city and region. Ngarimu Blair tells why the relationship works. Photo / Mike Scott 'Precinct, like us, are invested in the waterfront and the CBD,' Blair says. Luxury golf courses at Te Arai: Te Uri O Hau and Ngāti Manuhiri Developers John Darby and George Kerr did the initial work. Then American billionaire Ric Kayne built golf courses north of Auckland on land which tangata whenua owned. Ric Kayne - success with iwi. Photo / Michael Craig In 2012, Ric and Suzanne Kayne struck a deal with Te Uri o Hau. In 2002, the hapu got the land as part of a Treaty settlement and it has negotiated to sell 230ha of the forest to Kayne. In 2020, Kayne did a deal with Ngāti Manuhiri, who bought the Mangawhai south forest as part of their commercial redress under their Treaty of Waitangi settlement. The result has brought world praise for new golf courses there. Ihumātao: how not to do it After years of protest, Fletcher Building sold this Māngere site to the Crown for $29.9m five years ago. It ditched plans to build 480 homes on the land, once confiscated, becoming a lightning rod for protest, drawing the Soul (Save Our Unique Landscape) group led by the charismatic Pania Newton. Ihumātao activist Pania Newton. Photo / Jason Oxenham A memorandum of understanding (he pūmautanga) was signed by the Kiingitanga, the Crown and the Auckland Council, setting out how parties were to work together to decide the future of the land. A steering committee, or rōpu whakahaere, was established with three ahi kaa representatives supported by the Kiingitanga, one Kiingitanga representative and two Crown representatives. Plans to move ahead have stalled. Mataharehare, Parnell - no Erebus memorial Dove Myer Robinson Park became a site of protest by some in Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei when Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage wanted to build the Erebus memorial there. Protestors fought against this planned memorial in Parnell, since ditched. Photo / Dean Purcell But it was storms, not the protests, which resulted in that being ditched. Papatūānuku had spoken, some said. A large slip in the lower part of the park into Judges Bay caused by the 2023 Auckland Anniversary floods raised concerns about cantilevering the concrete and steel structure over the park. Putuki Bay - built but at great cost Tony Mair and Kitt Littlejohn completed and opened their 181-berth marina, despite weeks of stopwork and much protest. Trouble hit when protestors and security guards fought each other mid-winter on a slippery pontoon. Pūtiki Bay, Kennedy Point on Waiheke Island earlier this decade when protestors came out in force. Photo / Dean Purcell By July 2021, protesters had been occupying the site for more than 120 days, saying work endangers a nearby kororā (little blue penguin) colony, disputing the resource consent and saying they had mana whenua. Summerset with Ngāti Whātua at Bayswater This retirement village developer bought land on Auckland's North Shore which the hapū had bought under its 2013 treaty settlement. Summerset worked long and hard on the 5.7ha deal, said to have gone for $70m but that was never confirmed by either party. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei received shares in Summerset and won education and employment opportunities at the planned village. Marutūāhu-Ockham Group A true collaboration between a prominent Auckland apartment development business, previously fronted by Mark Todd, and the collective of five iwi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Whanaunga and Ngāti Rongoū. Back in 2021 at the opening Kokihi in Waterview: Paul Majurey, the now-ex Housing Minister Megan Woods and Mark Todd. Photo / Alex Burton This successful partnership is nearing completion on yet another apartment block: Toi on ex-Unitec land near the heritage Carrington Hospital. But work has certainly slowed now for the development business, which got a Crown guarantee on the new project. Douglas Links golf course near Levin Xero co-founder Hamish Edwards expressed frustration about development, even though he won consent for the golf course. Xero co-founder Hamish Edwards at Douglas Links, the golf course he is constructing at Ohau, near Levin. Photo / Mark Mitchell 'The process is so long, overly complicated and the involvement of iwi makes the decision to invest in these projects questionable. If I knew then what I know now, I would not have bothered to even start this investment,' he said. But he won't provide the document sent to Cabinet ministers Chris Bishop and David Seymour, saying what must change. The Douglas Links golf course under construction at Ohau, near Levin, in April. Photo / Mark Mitchell It was reported elsewhere that his company being called Grenadier upset some. Calling the course Douglas Links when the whenua already had a name for it was distressing too. It was the site of a pre-1900 pā, Tirotirowhetū. Engagement with tangata whenua was criticised by Ngāti Tukorehe Trust chairperson Tina Wilson as 'tokenistic', leaving a deep sense of sadness and anger. Media referred to activities being the 'act of the coloniser'. How to engage successfully Paul Majurey, a prominent Auckland lawyer, has been part of a number of longstanding commercial relationships: the Pouarua Farms partnership with Southern Pastures, Marutūāhu working with Ockham and Fletcher Living projects. Paul Majurey. Photo / Dean Purcell He also chairs Te Puia Tapapa, the iwi-led $115m investment fund which is a preferred co-investment partner of the NZ Super Fund. 'The key to these partnerships is mutual respect and taking a long-term approach. When Pakeha organisations have engaged with Marutūāhu in that way, it has been the basis for successful commercial partnerships.' Māori are long-term investors and looking for arrangements with entities which also reflect the te ao Māori world view, Majurey says. Investment periods of 15-20 years plus are sought. 'We like assets where we can own the asset for the long term, and prefer sectors like property, infrastructure, and the primary sector,' he says. Expert on rules of engagement Grey Lynn-based consultant Mike Dreaver describes himself as being 'comfortable in uncomfortable spaces'. Mike Dreaver is a consultant who works with iwi, the Crown and others. For 30 years, he has worked with iwi and hapū, the Crown and the private sector, involved in negotiating Treaty settlements, on governance and partnership arrangements for natural resources and many infrastructure projects. 'I've probably been involved in working on negotiating about 40 to 45 Treaty settlements, most for the Crown side but several on behalf of iwi.' He was involved in negotiating the Mahi Ngatahi Agreement with iwi of Auckland which gave them development rights for housing on Crown land - 'the trigger for the Marutūāhu-Ockham, Avent-Te Akitai, and Unitec arrangements'. Ihumātao - how not to do it. He has negotiated partnership arrangements between Waka Kotahi and iwi in north Taranaki, Manawatū/Tararua and Horowhenua and is now helping offshore-based wind developer Parkwind to build partnership arrangements with iwi in south Taranaki. Dreaver has assisted in building relationships between iwi and hapū and developers for projects on commercial land, golf courses and research institutes. He describes himself as a specialist in facilitation, negotiations and policy design development, 'committed to genuine change in the way we do things'. Asked to list some important lessons from his work, Dreaver provided what he sees as some of the principles or rules of effective engagement. Back in 2021: Protestors at Putiki Bay, Kennedy Point on Waiheke Island. Photo / Dean Purcell He emphasised this is only a starting point and there's so much more to relationships which form true partnerships. Dreaver's advice for developers working with Māori: Start early and invest time in developing genuine relationships. Understand your partner-representatives, role of those on the ground as well as those in the organisation and iwi/hapū dynamics. Appreciate and value what mātauranga Māori brings to your project – knowledge, experience, connections, relationships. Respect cultural intellectual property. Listen more than you talk. Recognise iwi and/or hapū have competing demands and you are not necessarily their top priority. Frame discussions around people, place and project. Recognise the commercial value of partnership or collaboration at value – land, opportunities, relationships, mātauranga and efficient processes. Don't promise what you can't deliver. Write things down. Record agreements and stick to them. Implement your commitment to the right relationship throughout your organisation. The first element stressed the need to begin at the project conception via building trust, he said. 'Doing this shows it's more than a tick-box exercise. Don't start when you prepare your resource consent application. Starting early allows you to build relationships over time and look at the range of different ways you can work together.' For Dreaver, there is no one model or off-the-shelf advice that would work. But for him, the need to emphasise people, place and project is a key to successful relationships. Anne Gibson has been the Herald's property editor for 25 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.
1News
31-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei tells iwi wanting to invest to ‘come through the front door first'
Central Auckland hapū Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is sending a clear message to iwi that want to invest within its rohe or tribal territory to "come through the front door" first. The hapū has endured significant loss throughout its history of colonisation and was rendered to a quarter acre section by 1855. It's now rebuilding its estate, with over 160 hectares of commercial and cultural land in its portfolio, and a total asset base worth $1.5 billion. But Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust deputy chairman Ngarimu Blair said it was disappointing to see iwi based outside of Auckland investing in the city without meeting with them first. "If a Ngāpuhi buys a house, pai ana (all good), but if the iwi entity invests here under traditional leadership structures then we expect our tikanga to be followed," he said. ADVERTISEMENT "Being tūturu Māori is when you go into a tribal district as manuhiri (visitors), you seek out the local home people to acknowledge them as the host, and build a relationship with them. That's all we ask." But that had not always occurred. "Not all of them have come through the front door and we have a list of them," Blair said. Among them was Ngāi Tahu, an iwi based in the South Island, that opened the All Blacks Experience at Sky City in 2020 and purchased property at Onekiritea, Hobsonville. "They made amends for that, have left town, and they've said when they come back they will come to the marae," he said. "We are actually holding on to a taonga that they brought with them for safekeeping so that when they do come back, we have that pounamu in our meeting house, and we will reignite that relationship." Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust deputy chairman Ngarimu Blair. (Source: 1News) ADVERTISEMENT Ngāi Tahu Holdings chief executive Todd Moyle acknowledged mistakes had been made. "In recent years, we have been working closer with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, which is an improvement on years gone by," he said. "We acknowledge there were instances in the past where Ngāi Tahu Holdings did not engage appropriately, and we appreciate the willingness of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to work with us to address these issues. "We value our current strong relationship and look forward to future opportunities for collaboration and partnership." But the hapū's northern neighbour, Ngāpuhi, could be next to invest in Auckland when it eventually settles. Penetaui Kleskovic, who affiliates to the tribe, certainly hopes so. "Once we get the economic endowment, we need to look towards Auckland, and the tribes in Auckland will say, 'Ngāpuhi has no legit claim there', but they do," he said. ADVERTISEMENT "If I have discussions with the Crown negotiators, I'll say to them, 'We want all of the remaining assets on the Crown's balance sheet within the Auckland area'." Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust chairwoman Marama Royal said the hapū was very protected of its rohe. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust chairwoman Marama Royal. (Source: 1News) "That's not because we don't want to share, it's because no one has endured the losses we have in a place like Auckland," she said. "For us, the protection of this, and the fact we have had to purchase back everything we have, sends a clear signal that we are here to stay, and we are the true ahi kā of central Tāmaki. "All we've asked is that they have the courtesy to come through the front door, not the back door – it's as simple as that."
