New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) and Rio Tinto have formed an alliance with the Iwi to restore the Tiwai Point aluminium site in Southland. Smelter owner Rio Tinto and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu declared in a joint statement that the Murihiku Rūnaka had been approached to chalk out a plan for the regeneration of the land.
{alcircleadd}The memorandum was signed at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Motupōhue/Bluff by frontmen from Murihiku Rūnaka and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Under the clause of the agreement, NZAS and Rio Tinto will work jointly with the local rūnaka to transform the site, though the document would not be made public. The team will start by removing waste, performing environmental studies and rejuvenating the site.
This step was necessary after the review released last month displaying the waste disposal carried out by the smelter raised eyebrows. The forging of this alliance was essential to ensure no contamination in the area or the environment was further initiated by the aluminium unit.
An official told the sources that the full agreement is not for publication as there are certain documents which are “confidential to the parties”.
However, it came to light that the agreement says that the Iwi people will share mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and kōrero tuku iho (history and traditions) associated with the region to support Rio Tinto in safely managing the eco-system of the place.
Te Rūnaka o Awarua will represent the partnership and directly get involved with the smelter on behalf of the Papatipu Rūnanga, which includes Waihōpai Rūnaka, Te Rūnaka o Awarua, Hokonui Rūnanga and Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka.
This coalition was led by Upoko o Te Rūnaka o Awarua Tā Tipene O’Regan, who seemed to be contented with the signing of the pact.
O’Regan commented: “I have always believed there is a future for this land. Now we can engage in responsible environmental management and look at a long-term future for Tiwai.”
The Aluminium Chief Executive of Rio Tinto, Ivan Vella, exemplified: “We are working hard to secure a longer future for NZAS, so it can continue supporting global decarbonisation, and we must make sure its environmental performance matches these objectives.”
Wilma Falconer, the Environment Southland Chief Executive, confirmed that the council had been relayed on all the instructions of the agreement and was meeting the Tiwai Programme oversight group to discuss progress on a day to day basis.
“The responsibility to remediate the site at Tiwai Point is NZAS’, and I’m pleased the smelter is partnering with mana whenua to ensure their remediation plans are consistent with iwi values and expectations,” she asserted.
She also claimed that it was the council’s responsibility to ensure the standard of the restoration work, which it successfully laid out through rules and protocols.
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