Turangi Reserves

Contents

Background

The Ngāti Tūrangitukua Claims Settlement Act was passed in 1999 and led to the return of ancestral land in the Turangi area to the Ngāti Tūrangitukua hapu. This land was taken by the crown for the construction of the Turangi township under the Public Works Act 1928 and the Turangi Township Act 1964.

While most of the reserves in Turangi are owned by Ngāti Tūrangitukua, council is required to maintain any land categorised as a reserve. This means keeping the reserves clean, mowing the grass and looking after sports fields, playgrounds and the skate park while enhancing the special relationship that Ngati Turangitukua has with their whenua.

All recreation reserves must have a reserve management plan that sets out how each reserve will be managed so they can be enjoyed and protected now and in the future. This doesn't include areas where there are grassed alleyways between streets, or places where there is council infrastructure such as stormwater gullies and pipes.

Ngāti Tūrangitukua has a special relationship with this land which is reflected through hapu mana whenua, their roles as kaitiaki and as the legal owner of the whenua. Some of these reserves are waahi tapu (sacred areas) and it is important that the values of Tūrangitukua are reflected in creating the most suitable reserves management plan for the people that use Turangi's reserves.

Turangi Reserves Management Committee

A partnership between Ngāti Tūrangitukua and council was formed in early 2016 to oversee the creation of a new reserves management plan. The Turangi Reserves Management Committee is made up of three council and three Ngāti Tūrangitukua representatives. Its inaugural meeting was held in June 2016.

The committee will ensure the reserves management plan reflects both the recreational and cultural values of the reserves and recognises the relationship the hapu has with the land. It will also ensure Ngāti Tūrangitukua - as mana whenua, kaitiaki and owners of the majority of the reserves - can build a strong working relationship with council and strengthen their relationship with the land.

A working group made up of Ngāti Tūrangitukua representatives and council staff will create a draft management plan for reserves in the Turangi area which will incorporate the community's feedback. The final Turangi Reserves Management Plan will then be adopted by Council based on the recommendations of the Turangi Reserves Management Plan Committee.

Have your say

Thank you for the ideas and feedback received on Turangi's reserves and how they could be managed in the future. All of these ideas will help the working group to create the first draft of the reserves management plan which will be made publicly available for further feedback from the community.

Engagement

We'll hold a series of hui with Ngāti Tūrangitukua to get suggestions for the proposed plan, and then to seek feedback on the draft content of the plan.

Engagement with key stakeholders such as sports groups who regularly use the reserves will also take place, as will consultation with anyone who may have a special interest in any of the reserves.

A cultural impact assessment will be carried out to document important values such as the relationship Ngāti Tūrangitukua has with this land, and will highlight any potential impacts on how we might use the reserves. It should include recommendations on how to incorporate Ngāti Tūrangitukua's values and connection with the land into how Turangi's reserves will be managed.

Timeline

Contact us

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our team on 0800 ASK TDC or email turangireserves@taupo.govt.nz