The Taihape District Inquiry

Wai 2180 – Taihape: Rangitīkei ki Rangipō  

Mōkai Pātea: the Rangitīkei awa and Aorangi maunga     Photograph by Adam Heinz

The Taihape inquiry –  presided by Chief Judge Wilson Isaac, the Chairperson of the Waitangi Tribunal –  is likely to address 20 to 30 claims concerned with the Taihape area, which is sometimes known as inland Pātea. The claims particularly concern the peoples of Mōkai Pātea: Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, and also Ngāti Paki and Ngāti Hinemanu, with current marae at Rata, Opaea, Moawhango,  and Winiata. Other peoples associated in various ways with the area include Ngāi Te Upokoiri and Ngāti Hinemanu, with current marae at Ōmahu; Ngāti Apa; Ngāti Rangi; and the peoples of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Raukawa: Ngāti Waewae and Ngāti Pikiahu, with current marae at Te Reureu. The Taihape inquiry district is bounded by the Kaimanawa mountains and the Ngaruroro River to the north; the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges to the east; the Waitapu stream, Oroua River and Umutoi Creek to the south; and the Turakina, Mangapapa, and Hautapu Rivers to the west. The Rangitīkei River, north of the Waitapu Stream, lies at the geographic centre of the Taihape inquiry district.

First steps

The Waitangi Tribunal is holding a number of consultative judicial conferences as the first step towards beginning an inquiry. The purpose of these conferences is to find out:

• Who are the main claimants?
• Who are their spokespersons?
• Which claimant groups have legal representation?
• How many claimants wish to to participate in a Tribunal inquiry?
• What kind of inquiry process would be appropriate for the district?
• What preparations claimants need to make to be ready for an inquiry?

The Waitangi Tribunal held consultative judicial conferences in Ōtaki and Palmerston North in 2009, after which it resolved to create a distinct Taihape inquiry district.

The Waitangi Tribunal will soon be conferring with claimants in the Taihape area to:

• Confirm the boundaries of the Taihape inquiry district
• Confirm a research programme and deadlines for the inquiry
• Confirm a suitable inquiry process to meet claimants' objectives

Consultative judicial conference, Taihape Town Hall, 10am Monday 24 May 2010

The Waitangi Tribunal will hold a consultative judicial conference in Taihape at the Taihape Town Hall, at 10am on Monday 24 May 2010 to discuss the boundaries of the Taihape inquiry and other related issues. Tribunal staff are preparing for the conference by meeting with many people to better understand the claims and the locations concerned with the inquiry. Tribunal staff will distribute a discussion paper in early May to assist all parties seeking to reach agreement on the boundaries of the Taihape inquiry district. Some of the issues raised may have implications for research or inquiry process.

Inquiry process and research planning

Options around inquiry process and research planning for the Taihape inquiry are being considered. The Crown Forestry Rental Trust (CFRT) has contracted Bruce Stirling to make recommendations on the most effective and efficient way of organising technical research for the Taihape inquiry. Tribunal staff are also beginning to discuss inquiry options and preferences with claimants. After consultation, the Tribunal is likely to make a decision about what inquiry process will be adopted later in the year.