Rūnaka of Murihiku come together to form action plan to regenerate Southland

Sunday, 11 October 2020

Sir Tipene O'Regan speaking at the Murihiku Regeneration Hui held at Murihiku Marae.

The four papatipu rūnanga of Murihiku have come together alongside Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu to form a collective to move the region forward from the impacts of Covid-19 and the closure of the Tiwai Aluminium Smelter.

During a hui at Murihiku Marae on Friday, a Murihiku collective was announced, which includes Te Rūnaka o Awarua, Te Rūnaka o Waihopai, Oraka-Aparima Rūnaka and Hokonui Rūnanga alongside Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to look for opportunities to enhance the region into the future.

It has formed a 100-day action plan titled Murihiku Regenerate with three phases - the first being the creation of the establishment and taking it to Government after the election.

Phase two involves using the mana whenua rights and interests to work with regional partners and stakeholders, while phase three involves being a guardian over its resources.

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Hokonui Rūnaka chairman Terry Nicholas said iwi had long suffered through the destruction of industries.

Starting with Bluff, the oyster industry had been affected by bonamia ostreae and the Ocean Beach freezing works closure, he said.

In Oraka-Aparima there was the closure of sawmills in Ōtautau and Tuatapere, and Gore/Hokonui had lost its paper mill, he said.

Nicholas acknowledged the tough jobs New Zealand Aluminium Smelters chief executive Stewart Hamilton, Ngāi Tahu o Rūnanga chief executive Arihia Bennett and Ngāi Tahu Holdings chief executive Mike Pohio had dealing with the effects this year had on its workforce.

There was a job ahead of placing a workforce and that was what Murihiku Regenerate was about, he said

In his opening speeh, Tā Tipene O’Regen said they had an amazing opportunity with the closing of the Tiwai Point smelter, not just for Murihiku but for Aotearoa.

“It's not just about Murihiku, it's actually about the whole economy of this country.”

There were opportunities with the collective intellectual muscle and wit to retain and rebuild from the smelter, and its other opportunities, O’Regan said.

Ngāi Tahu Holdings chief executive Mike Pohio said it was commited to its existing businesses in forestry, seafoods, tourism, honey and property, while growing its portfolio.

It had looked at what happened with Tiwai and knew there had to be something of significance, not only to replace it but to enable the support of all the services that currently work with the smelter, he said.

What they would support was still unknown but it was committed to invest into Murihiku, he said.

Regional stakeholders from the Southern Institute of Technology, Southland Chamber of Commerce, Great South, Community Trust South, Invest South and the Southland regional mayoral forum were asked what they would do for the Murihiku collective.

Southland Mayoral Forum chairman Tracy Hicks said he would hold regular meetings with the collective, if they were willing to do the same.

Great South chief executive Graham Budd said one practical thing they were ready to implement was the Bluff Master Plan and to include Māori story telling in that plan.

The three whakataukī (principals/proverbs) overarching the Murihiku Regenerate plan are Tū tahi ki te kei, “lets stand together in the stern of our waka”, Murihiku tītī a kai, tīti a manawa, “a land of resource, a people steadfast”, and Tauarutia kā aho ratarata, “follow our southern lights”.