Latest news with #waterprotection
RNZ News
02-08-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Iwi disappointed council deferring Taupō water management agreement
The draft Joint Management Agreement aims to protect the water of Lake Taupō (Taupō Moana) (pictured) and the Upper Waikato River. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod The Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board says it is disappointed the Taupō District Council has chosen to draw out the process for its joint water management agreement with the iwi by deferring it to the next council. Councilors voted on Thursday to defer discussion of the draft Joint Management Agreement (JMA) until after the next local government elections in October after concerns over a lack of public consultation on the agreement were raised. The purpose of the draft JMA is to protect the water of Lake Taupō (Taupō Moana) and the Upper Waikato River. It would see the council and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board collaborate on work such as monitoring and enforcement, district plan reviews, resource consent application assessments, and enabling customary activities. The council has legal obligations to form agreements with Waikato River iwi trusts under the Waikato River Act 2010. Speaking after the meeting on Thursday, Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said he was all for the JMA but felt the community had not been taken along with the process. There had been a lot of misinformation and public debate around the agreement, he said. "For that reason today councilors decided to defer consideration of the JMA till until the new council has been elected in October and that will give them a chance to fully understand the agreement and what's involved." But Trust Board chair John Bishara said the JMA has been co-developed through a process that fully aligned with the legislation and was ready for adoption following endorsement by the Joint Committee. The discussion at Thursday's meeting reflected a clear double-standard, he said. Councillors spent significant time debating whether public consultation should occur, despite receiving clear advice that consultation was not required under the Local Government Act or council policy, he said. "The fact that consultation became the focus, even though it wasn't required, makes it hard to ignore the sense of different standards being applied here. "This decision is out of step with the values many in our community expect and undermines the good work that has been done to this point." In light of the decision, the Trust Board would now take time to consider all available options under the Waikato River Act 2010, he said. The Trust thanked the more than 100 Tūwharetoa whānau who put in a submission of support, and those who showed up at the council vote to tautoko. No matter what, Ngāti Tūwharetoa are kaitiaki of Taupō Moana, and we will continue to protect our taonga, āke ake ake, they said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
31-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Taupō council defers debate over draft water management agreement with iwi
The draft Joint Management Agreement aims to protect the water of Lake Taupō (Taupō Moana) (pictured) and the Upper Waikato River. Photo: RNZ / Libby Kirkby-McLeod The Taupō District Council has voted to defer consideration of a draft water management agreement with local iwi Ngāti Tūwharetoa until after the next local government elections. The draft Joint Management Agreement (JMA) has drawn controversy with one councillor, Duncan Campbell, calling in lobby group Hobson's Pledge to raise his concerns to a wider audience. The purpose of the draft JMA is to protect the water of Lake Taupō (Taupō Moana) and the Upper Waikato River. It would see the council and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board collaborate on work such as monitoring and enforcement, district plan reviews, resource consent application assessments, and enabling customary activities. At a meeting on Thursday the council resolved to defer consideration of the draft Joint Management Agreement and direct the chief executive to refer the matter to the incoming council as soon as reasonably practicable following the local government elections in October 2025. Six councillors, including the Mayor David Trewavas, voted in favour of the resolution. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CTV News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, Tsuut'ina Minor Chief expands on comments to U.S. President Donald Trump at G7
Saturday, Tsuut'ina Minor Chief Steven Crowchild expanded upon his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump that took place last Sunday on the tarmac at Calgary International Airport. Crowchild welcomed the American president to Treaty 7 territory wearing a feathered headdress while Trump wore a white baseball cap with 'Make America Great Again' on it. Saturday at a media event on the Tsuut'ina Nation, Crowchild emphasized the inter-connectedness between water and peace. 'Where water is polluted or privatized, conflict brews,' he said. 'Where peace is broken, water systems collapse. 'If we truly want peace, we must protect water,' he said. 'If we truly want security, we must act on climate change and environmental justice now. Steven Crowchild U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Calgary International Airport, greeting Indigenous leader Steven Crowchild, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Calgary, Canada, ahead of the G7 Summit. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Crowchild also called on all world governments including Canada and the United States 'to put the protection, dignity, respect and love for all our children and future generations at the centre of decision making -- and recognize access to clean water as a universal human right. 'And protect it in all national and international policies,' he added. 'Uphold Indigenous sovereignty and support Indigenous-led water protection and climate solutions. Fund global efforts to restore rivers, wetlands, and natural water systems as part climate adaptation and peace building. 'And ban the use of water as a weapon in conflict zones,' he said, 'and hold violators accountable under international law -- and above all, prioritize diplomacy and peaceful resolution over military escalation and arms spending.' As for his Sunday night meet-and-greet on the tarmac with the American president, Crowchild said it was brief. 'It was a simple conversation,' he said about the encounter, which received global attention when Crowchild described himself as 'filled with rage' while speaking with Trump. Steven Crowchild Tsuut'ina Minor Chief Steven Crowchild wearing the medal he showed President Trump at the G7 welcoming last Sunday night at Calgary International Airport (Tyler Barrow, CTV Calgary) 'After sitting with my quote unquote rage and praying, I was reminded that my rage came from a place of grief and love – love for my people, all humanity, and love for this beautiful planet that we share," he said. 'And grief for those in the world suffering from the actions, words and inactions of a certain individual,' he said, 'and many others who have the ability to bring peace to the world. 'Our conversation was short,' he said, continuing, 'I introduced myself in my language and said 'this is native land'. '(Then) I introduced myself in English and my nation,' he said. 'I showed him this treaty medal here and told him that it's older than Canada itself. Canada Trump G7 Summit Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with President Donald Trump after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) 'I said welcome to treaty, native land – and I wish you safe travels home. 'I told him that I speak for my babies, elders and future generations and to be a good leader and protect water for future generations.' 'All he said in response was something along the lines of 'Yeah. Yeah. We can do that.'' 'So hopefully they can do that,' he said. 'Because our collective survival depends on it.' With files from CTV's Tyler Barrow
CTV News
21-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, Tsuut'ina Minor Chief Steven Crowchild expands on conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump at G7
Saturday, Tsuut'ina Minor Chief Steven Crowchild expanded upon his conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump that took place last Sunday on the tarmac at Calgary International Airport. Crowchild welcomed the American president to Treaty 7 territory wearing a feathered headdress while Trump wore a white baseball cap with 'Make America Great Again' on it. In a preamble to his explanation of his conversation with Trump, Crowchild emphasized the inter-connectedness between water and peace. 'Where water is polluted or privatized, conflict brews,' he said. 'Where peace is broken, water systems collapse. 'If we truly want peace, we must protect water,' he said. 'If we truly want security, we must act on climate change and environmental justice now. Steven Crowchild U.S. President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Calgary International Airport, greeting Indigenous leader Steven Crowchild, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Calgary, Canada, ahead of the G7 Summit. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Crowchild said he was calling on all world governments including Canada and the United States 'to put the protection, dignity, respect and love for all our children and future generations at the centre of decision-making -- and recognize access to clean water as a universal human right. 'And protect it in all national and international policies,' he added. 'Uphold Indigenous sovereignty and support Indigenous-led water protection and climate solutions. Fund global efforts to restore rivers, wetlands, and natural water systems as part climate adaptation and peace building. 'And ban the use of water as a weapon in conflict zones,' he said, 'and hold violators accountable under international law -- and above all, prioritize diplomacy and peaceful resolution over military escalation and arms spending.' As for his Sunday night meet-and-greet on the tarmac with the American president, Crowchild said it was brief. "It was a simple conversation," he said about the encounter, which received global attention when Crowchild described himself as 'filled with rage' while speaking with Trump. Steven Crowchild Tsuut'ina Minor Chief Steven Crowchild wearing the medal he showed President Trump at the G7 welcoming last Sunday night at Calgary International Airport (Tyler Barrow, CTV Calgary) 'After sitting with my quote unquote rage and praying, I was reminded that my rage came from a place of grief and love – love for my people, all humanity, and love for this beautiful planet that we share," he said. 'And grief for those in the world suffering from the actions, words and inactions of a certain individual,' he said, 'and many others who have the ability to bring peace to the world. 'Our conversation was short,' he said, continuing. 'I introduced myself in my language and said 'this is native land'. '(Then) I introduced myself in English and my nation,' he said. 'I showed him this treaty medal here and told him that it's older than Canada itself. Canada Trump G7 Summit Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with President Donald Trump after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) 'I said welcome to treaty, native land – and I wish you safe travels home. 'I told him that I speak for my babies, elders and future generations and to be a good leader and protect water for future generations.' 'All he said in response was something along the lines of 'Yeah. Yeah. We can do that.'' 'And then, that was the end of our interaction,' said Crowchild, who met the press on National Indigenous Peoples Day. 'So hopefully they can do that,' he said. 'Because our collective survival depends on it.' With files from CTV's Tyler Barrow
CBC
14-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Fighting fire with forest: Saint John plants trees to safeguard drinking water supply
As wildfire risk grows with hotter, drier summers, Saint John is turning to trees to provide frontline protection for its drinking water — by cutting down trees in high-risk areas and planting more resilient native species. The goal is to prevent the spread of wildfires in the Loch Lomond watershed, said Dean Price, manager of source water protection for the City of Saint John. "It's more than just the water, we want to have a healthy forest that surrounds those lakes," Price said. The watershed supplies clean water for most Saint John residents and businesses. Some areas around the Loch Lomond water supply are at a higher risk of wildfires during the often dry and scorching summer months. As a proactive measure, the city has been planting more trees in high-risk areas to protect the water supply from possible contamination. After a wildfire, the debris from burned trees and erosion caused by the damage contaminates the water and makes it harder to treat. "We're doing restorative forestry," Price said. "So we're actually cutting down trees in high-risk areas, and then we're going to be replanting with a better mix of trees." The trees they are cutting away are dry and more susceptible to fire. Price said that the goal is to replace the old trees, primarily balsam firs, with a variety of other species, such as oak, red spruce and maple. "Ideally, you want to have a forest that's a mixture of hardwoods and softwoods. It's more resilient, better for biodiversity and also for the overall health of the forest." Price said his department has been working with ACAP Saint John to plant the new trees in the Loch Lomond area. Roxanne MacKinnon, ACAP's executive director, said the species of trees being planted are all native to the area, which means their survival rates will be better. "We've been doing water-quality monitoring," MacKinnon said, "to also get a sense of what the water quality is looking like in-flowing into the lake." The City of Saint John looks after the water-quality tests in the Loch Lomond lakes, but ACAP uses them to monitor the tributaries to the water supply. MacKinnon said this process ensures there's nothing "coming off the land" that could impact water quality. Forest health refers to the diversity of species occupying certain areas of the forest. Keeping a forest healthy also requires future planning to maintain and preserve the vegetation, MacKinnon said. She said ACAP will be tracking which trees do well in a changing climate to preserve the lifespan of the forest and protect the watershed.
