Tena Koutou e te Whanau o te Hau Kaenga e kawe tonu ana ai te mana o te Ahi Kaa mo te hapaingia tangata whenua tetahi ki tetahi i waenganui o te hapori aa me te katoa. Tena koutou I o tatou tini mate. Haere e nga mate ki te kainga tuturu o to tatou nei Tipuna. Nga mihi. Please see the following email I sent to Minister Shane Jones opposing any Port Development in Wharekahika Hicks Bay, endorsed with tautoko from the Wharekahika Maori Committee. Another post will be uploaded if/when a detailed response is received from the Minister. You are encouraged to write to and/or lobby our politicians to express your thoughts and views. All patai questions welcome. William (He uri ano o Bill Jensen me Maruia Akuhata Brown). Ani Pahuru-Huriwai Kararaina Ngatai Kingi Houkamau. From: William Tumai Date: 16 March 2018 at 3:35:07 pm NZDT To: s.jones@ministers.govt.nz Subject: Proposed Hicks Bay Port Development Kia ora Shane E te Minita Mihi atu mihi mai ki a koe koutou hoki to whanau ahakoa ko wai ahakoa kei whea. Me mihia te mihi ki nga Taangata kua hingatu I tena I tena moe mai moe mai moe mai ra. I te timatanga o tenei wiki kua rongohia e au etahi raru ki waenganui i te hapori o Wharekahika ko Nga Hapu o Te Whanau a Tuwhakairiora me Te Aotaki tera. E ai ki nga korero o etahi kua rongo ratou he korero rereke a kei te haeremai nga umanga rawaho ki tetahi hapori mo ta ratou takoha putea nui kei te haeremai aa ki te proposed Hicks Bay Port. Ka huri au ki te reo pakeha inaianei. My name is William Tumai. My whakapapa links are firmly in Waikato Tainui and I connect to Hicks Bay Wharekahika through my Mother who was a Jensen, Akuhata Brown. My maternal Grandparents were Bill “the Dane” Jensen and Maruia Akuhata Brown. I am one of many of their mokopuna. My parents are Wiremu Tumai-Totorewa and Rosemarie Matekino. My forebears were some of the pioneers and staunch workers who aided in the construction of the former Hicks Bay Wharf. I understand community efforts are underway at present to raise finance to aid in the restoration of the current Hicks Bay Wharf. Although my issue does not concern the wharf itself, I personally oppose the construction and establishment of a Hicks Bay Port. My understanding is that your office recently convened hui and meeting with a group known as the United Tairawhiti Leadership, who claim to have a mandate to speak on behalf of the Ahi Kaa Hau Kaenga who both live and reside in Hicks Bay. While the Ahi kaa oppose any Port Development in our area, through recent local hui held with Local Government (GDC), there is community support to restore the current Hicks Bay Wharf. What is at issue is the clean green pristine area and superb surrounding estuaries, waterways, rivers and the ocean which have long being the supermarket of the community. It is a well kept environment. To support a Port Development in the rohe goes against the grain of promoting a tranquil, peaceful and environmentally friendly area enjoyed by the many throughout the generational whanau who whakapapa and live in the township. If you lived there you would understand why many refer to Hicks Bay as Paradise. You will note that the nearest major supermarket to that community for affordable stores and produce, is almost 150kms north to Opotiki or 200kms south to Gisborne. Your office and various stakeholders may at this stage be contemplating how to work through a process of community engagement, mustering business support, and policy legislation formulation and implementation - to realise both the establishment and operation of a Port based in Hicks Bay. Let’s suppose your office and commercial stakeholders do get past the mustering part, and I’m sure there is no short supply of rawaho outsiders seeking to impose their preferences and values on us. And it may also emerge that an outside mandated group be accorded preferential recognition to represent Ahi Kaa on the importance of establishing this type of entity in Hicks Bay. But I’m afraid that maybe as far as the Minister gets. I have been in contact with MPs from whom I’m told are currently taking advice on whether they would support any Policy and/or Legislation enabling this Port to be built. Certainly, there would be some interesting and challenging times ahead. I’m thinking more in line of the blacklash to New Zealand First that might be relevant here, partly (or mostly) brought on by it’s opposition to the recent Green Party initiative on medicinal cannabis. For years my community and Marae screamed out for assistance to establish tarseal roading in the township which was not fully realised until recent years by the current Mayor Mr Foon, when his predecessor Mr John Clarke just sat on his hands and did nothing. Now the community sees an emerging keen interest for a Port Development and it appears, to use the colloquialism, that every man and his dog is coming to town and wants in on the action. Tuwhakairiora was a galiant and noble Chief. One story recounts his taiaha and weapon art skills as second to none. There were often times where he found himself outnumbered by double or triple the amount of adversaries. But this did not faze him as he fought his battles with both bravery, passion and effectiveness as part of a taua or as an individual. And so it is, I don’t in this instance find any difficulty in standing alone in my personal and professional email to you. I am motivated to write this for me and any legacy I leave behind. My Tipuna are always with me. At present, my legal practice is contemplating assembling a team of other litigators who share the same Ahi Kaa concerns. Should any plans from your office or any outsider groups claiming to have a mandate persist in the current vain, these people, including myself, stand ready to receive instructions and initiate proceedings which may include applying for an injunction, with the full backing, support and tautoko of the Wharekahika Maori Committee. I look forward to your reply. Ma te Atua ki a tatou te kaha rawa i homai. na William (He uri ano no te Whanau a Tuwhakairiora me Te Aotaki me Waikato). William Tumai Barrister Sole T: 09 2502354 M: 020 41549484 E: williamtumailawyer@gmail.com W: www.williamtumailawyer.com From: "S Jones (MIN)" Date: 16 March 2018 at 3:35:21 pm NZDT To: William Tumai Subject: Automatic reply: Proposed Hicks Bay Port Development Kia ora, On behalf of Hon Shane Jones, thank you for your email which has been received by this office. Your correspondence has been noted. Your email will be placed before the Minister for consideration, and if required a response can be expected in due course. If your letter is bringing some information to the attention of the Minister, please regard this as a final response to your letter. Ngā mihi, William Blackler Private Secretary to Hon Shane Jones Ph +64 817 8719