🔊 PUBLIC NOTICE Application to Establish the Manawatū Gorge as a Māori Reservation
Issued by: The Māori Marine Whenua Hauora Resource Research and Development Foundation (A Māori Trust established for the protection, restoration, and development of whenua, wai, and moana in accordance with tikanga Māori and kaupapa hauora taiao) Ko te kaupapa: The trustees of The Māori Marine Whenua Hauora Resource Research and Development Foundation hereby give public notice of their formal intention to apply to the Māori Land Court, under Section 338 of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993, for the designation of the Manawatū Gorge and its surrounding whenua and waterways as a Māori Reservation. Trustees: Wade Robin Karipa – Kaitiaki Matua, Cultural and Historical Advisor Fraser William Howard – Technical and Environmental Specialist Mr. Aung Aung – Trustee, Secretary, and International Liaison (Additional trustees may be listed as required.) Purpose of the Reservation: To protect, preserve, and restore the Manawatū Gorge as a sacred ancestral landscape, a living taonga, and a site of immense cultural, historical, and environmental significance to tangata whenua and the wider public. Objectives of the Reservation: To uphold the role of mana whenua as kaitiaki over the Manawatū Gorge To prevent ongoing environmental degradation and cultural desecration To restore biodiversity, native species, and water quality through tikanga-led conservation To protect wāhi tapu, wāhi tūpuna, and access to mahinga kai and taonga species To enable the expression of Mātauranga Māori and support kaupapa Māori research and development into whenua and wai ora To ensure that all future activities in the Gorge are aligned with hauora taiao and the long-term wellbeing of the natural world Area Affected: The proposed Māori Reservation encompasses the entire length of the Manawatū Gorge corridor, including: Crown and local authority lands adjacent to and within the Gorge Former SH3 (now disused infrastructure) Riparian margins and adjoining forested and conservation land All tributaries, springs, and waterways that feed into the river within this zone Public Engagement: We invite all mana whenua, whānau, hapū, iwi, local community members, environmental groups, and stakeholders to submit their support, feedback, or objections to this application. Submissions & Contact: All submissions should be made in writing to: The Māori Marine Whenua Hauora Resource Research and Development Foundation 📧 Email: [email protected] 🗓️ Deadline for submissions: [Insert date – e.g., 30 days from publication] please summarize into 100 word excerpt