Harawira Hone: Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Harawira Hone: Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:632;Page:4368] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Kia ora. Ko te katoa o taku korero i te reo Maori.  
[ 
Greetings to you. I shall give the whole of my speech in the Maori language 
.] 
Tera tetahi korero kua tukua mai mo Kapumanawawhiti o Ngati Raukawa raua ko Tuhourangi o Te Arawa e pa ana ki te tino kai o te Maori ara ko te huahua. Mutu ana te hakari ara te huahua te tuna te ika te kai moana ka matewai a Tuhourangi na reira ka whakaaetia. Hakoa te reka nui o te huahua ka ora ke te tangata i te wai. 
E te rangatira me whai wai maori te tangata ka tika! Mai ra ano ka riro ma te tangata whenua o tatou awa o tatou hopua wai o tatou puna wai katoa hei tiaki. No reira e tautoko kaha ana te Pati Maori i wetahi huarahi kia maori ai te wai inu mo te tangata. 
Kua kitea he mea nui te wai maori te wai inu i roto i nga korero mai i te taenga mai o tauiwi. I mua atu i nga tahae whenua i noho nga iwi i o ratou pa. He pai nga manga tuku atu i nga waimate me nga waikura. 
Ka tahae atu te whenua ka heke te iwi ki nga mania ki nga wahi kahore e pai ana te manga tuku. Ka pangia te tangata ki nga momo mauiui. 
Mai i tera rautau ka toroa nga kainga Maori e Ta Maui Pomare hei matai i te wai inu i te tuku para i te paratutae. Kahore te iwi i aro atu ki ana korero. Na tona mokopuna a Miria te korero mo te akiaki o tana kaumatua kia ata matai te iwi i wa ratou wai inu. Na te titirohanga ki tona karu whakarahi i ohorere pai ai ratou i te nui o nga ngangara i roto i te wai. Katahi ratou ka aro ki ana kupu e pa ana ki te koropuputanga o te wai. 
Na reira kua roa te kitea o te paru i roto i te wai inu o Aotearoa. Ko te tumanako ma tenei pire e ngaro katoa ai wenei ahuatanga. 
I nga tau kua pahure ake nei he nui ano nga momo paru e uru mai ana ki roto i te wai inu pera i te manga tuku i nga pamu kararehe nga monehunehu i nga mara kai nui nga monehunehu whakamate ngangara nga wheketere puta noa nga ara waipuke e honohono ana i te wai maori me te wai parunga ngongo kua hanga ki te mata te whakaparu a nga paihamu me nga manu i te wai tuanui. 
Heoi ano i te marama kua pahure nei kua rongo ano te iwi o to matou rangatira a Tariana i te kino o te waipuke i pa atu ki a Whangaehu raua ko Waitotara. Ka raruraru ano te wai inu o tona iwi na te mahi whakawatea whenua kua horo te whenua me nga puketai. Ko te morearea ka uru atu te pungatara te paratutae me te paru ki roto i nga puna wai. Ka whakatau te marae o Whangaehu kia hoko wai inu kia kore ai ratau e mate i te wai paru. 
E hoa ma! Ehara i te mea ko te tangohanga o te wai ko te rerenga ranei o te para ki roto i nga awa i te take taiao noa iho hakoa tona whakahirahira. He take kaitiaki mo te tangata whenua he take oranga mo te iwi. E mea ana te pepeha: 
“E kore a Parawhenua e haere ki te kore a Rakahore.” Me ki he kupu whakarite a Parawhenua mo te wai a Rakahore mo te kohatu. Ko tona wai ora ko te whanaungatanga i roto i nga mea katoa. Ko te whakapapa o te taiao ara ko nga kararehe ko nga tupu ko nga maunga nga awa nga moana ko te hau ko nga takutai he mea hono ki te tangata whenua. Na reira ka tukuna iho e wa matou tupuna te kaitiakitanga o enei taonga. A tona wa ka riro ma nga uri whakatupu. 
I roto i te kereme e pa ana ki te awa o Whanganui ka whakatauritea te awa ki te rerenga toto matua o *Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi he mauri o nga mea katoa e hono ana ki te awa. Kahore to matou matauranga i whakaae ki te whakawehetanga o nga awa ki nga papa awa nga ara wai nga puketai nga wahi kia ngaua e te tai me nga wahi horekau he tai. 
Ko te whakatau a te Taraipiunara o Waitangi he taonga tuku iho te awa. He whanaungatanga tona ki tona iwi. Koia ra ko tona oranga tona mauri tona whatumanawa hoki. E mea ana te purongo a te taraipiunara mo te awa o Mohaka he taonga ano te awa no Ngati Pahauwera i te wa o te hainatanga o te Tiriti a haere tonu nei. Ka pera tonu te whakatau a te Taraipiunara o Waitangi mo Pouakani. He taonga te awa o Waikato no te waka o Tainui me Ngati Tuwharetoa. No reira he take ano mo te pire wai inu nei i tua atu i te arai i nga morearea hauora nei ara ko te manaaki te tiaki te atawhai i tenei taonga tuku iho. 
He take whitawhita tenei. I te tau 2003 tata atu i te tahi miriona nga tangata i whakawhiwhia ki te wai inu kahore i eke ki nga taumata e tika ana. Tini ana nga wa kahore nga kaiwhakarato i whai i nga tikanga tiaki i te wai kahore hoki ratou i ata aro matawai ano hoki. He whatinga tikanga kino atu tenei hei whai ake. I te tau 2002 i mea atu Te Kaunihera a-Rohe o Te Taitokerau na te mahi hanga i te whare herehere i Ngawha i piki ai nga taumata o te konuoi—ara ko te mercury tera—ka kitea i roto i te awa o Ngawha. Ka rere atu tenei wai ki te awa o Waiaruhe ki Waitangi ra ano. Koia ra te wahi ka tikina atu te wai inu mo nga tangata o Paihia me Waitangi. E mea ana te ripoata kua eke nui atu nga taumata konuoi ki te taumata tika. Mai ano i te marama o Pipiri he nui te ua a ka piki haere te wai i runga i te papa. Ma tena ka nui atu te rerenga o te wai me te konuoi mai i nga wahi hanga a he nui atu te paruparu. Koianei te putake o nga ohotata hauora e pa ana ki te wai inu e korerohia nei i roto i te pire nei. 
Haunga ana ko nga ahuatanga kua korerohia nei ka hoki ano ki a au ki Te Tai Tokerau ki tetahi atu tauira e whakaatu mai ana he oranga he rongoa mo tatou. Hakoa te aha ka para te awa i tona ara. Pera ano hoki mo tatou te tangata. Me tirohia e tatou ki to tatou ake matauranga kia kitea ai te rongoa mo tenei raruraru. Ko tetahi mahi rangahau i Hokianga ka hangai ki te wai inu pai mo nga marae me nga papa kainga e rua. A muri atu i nga waipuke kino i Hokianga i te tau 1999 ka kakari mai te iwi kia kimihia te wai maori mo nga papakainga me nga marae. Na nga waipuke i eke ai te take nei ki tona wehitanga. Ko te maharahara ko te urutanga o te paru ki nga marae kua tu hei wahi noho mo nga whanau i whakarere i o ratou kainga. Ka hui tahi nga hapu me te ratonga hauora a Hauora Hokianga ki te whakamatau i tetahi whakahaere e kiia nei ko Nga Puna Wai o Hokianga. 
Kua hua mai he wai inu maori mo te hapori o Hokianga ka ahu mai i nga punaha wai. Ka whakatungia nga punaha nei ka riro ma te hau kainga ano e whakahaere. Kua whakahekea rawatia te tuponotanga ka paru te wai inu. Ka riro ki te hau kainga te kaitiakitanga o te wai inu. Ka mutu ina tona whakahirahira ka whakawhiwhia ki a ratou te tohu mo te turanga tuarua o roto i nga kaitono tata atu ki te 2003 o nga Tohu Hauora o Aotearoa. 
Tautoko kaha ana te Pati Maori kia whakarite he taumata wai inu hei eke hei whakapumau hoki ma nga ratonga wai e kauparehia atu ai nga tini wero ki to tatou wai inu. Kua kitea i te mahi a Nga Puna Wai o Hokianga e taea ana nga taumata te eke mena e tu ana te tangata whenua hei kaitiaki mo tona wai. Ma te mahi ngatahi me nga ratonga o te rohe e puta ai nga hua. He tohu ora tenei hei tautoko ma te Paremata i a tatou ka rapu i nga huarahi e pai ai te wai inu e maori ai te wai inu a haere ake nei. 
No reira e te Whare e te rangatira tena koutou kia ora tatou katoa.  
 [An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
In our tribal history we have a story passed down that recalls a challenge between  
Kapumanawawhiti of Ngati Raukawa 
 and Tuhourangi of Te Arawa. The debate was over whether huahua preserved birds were really the greatest delicacy available to Maori. After a hakari of legendary proportions—of huahua eel fish and shellfish Tuhourangi was allegedly desperate for water so an agreement was reached: whilst huahua are indeed delectable it is water that will ensure our survival. 
The right to clean safe water is a fundamental human right. In a tangata whenua context the strong cultural traditional and historic links that we have with our wetlands and island waterways are seen as intrinsic to our responsibilities as tangata tiaki. Therefore any move to ensure the provision of adequate supplies of safe and wholesome drinking water from drinking-water supplies is strongly commended by the Maori Party. 
The importance of wai maori fresh drinking-water to be used for everyday purposes has been a feature of our recent history in Aotearoa post-settlement. Prior to land confiscation iwi traditionally lived on hill-placed pa sites. These sites had good drainage especially in regard to effluent which meant that waimate or waikura water that is stagnant or polluted flowed away from living areas. 
With land alienation however our people were forced to live on flat land in closer proximity and frequently without proper sanitation. Such factors inevitably resulted in their drinking polluted water which spread disease.  
At the turn of last century as a health officer Sir Maui Pomare regularly visited Maori villages often travelling miles on foot to inspect the water supply rubbish disposal and sanitary arrangements. His efforts to convince people not to drink water before boiling it first or sieving it did not always make him popular. His grand-daughter Miria Pomare described how at one marae the people made a spectacular discovery when he urged them to bring a bucket of water and look through his microscope at its contents. “They were horrified at these little bully-headed bugs that were prevalent in the water they were drinking. He was then able to show them that they had to boil the water—and that turned them around.” she said. 
So the existence of contaminated or polluted drinking-water has a long history in Aotearoa—a history we are hoping this bill will change forever. 
More recently threats to safe clean drinking-water have come about from a host of new pressures such as agricultural run-off horticultural sprays pest eradication sprays industry stormwater mixing with drinking water due to flooding and lead water pipes possums and birds contaminating roof water.  
And indeed just last month our colleague Tariana Turia can vouch for the impact of flooding again at Whangaehu and Waitotara in which risks to the provision of adequate drinking-water were again presented. The clearing of the land has led inevitably to the erosion of hillsides. The risk of contamination from sulphur sewage and mud all combine to create life-threatening damage to water supply. So Whangaehu Marae has made the decision to purchase water supplies for drinking rather than to risk well-being. 
It is important to note here that the extraction of water or the introduction of waste into rivers and streams as above is not just a matter of physical degradation of ecological compromise—although these are significant enough. For tangata whenua it is also highly offensive in a cultural sense. There is a pepeha that demonstrates this meaning: “E kore a Parawhenua e haere ki te kore a Rakahore.” Literally Parawhenua—the personification of water—would not flow if it were not for Rakahore—the rock. All things are connected. The whakapapa of the natural world—animals plants mountains rivers lakes air coasts—is linked to that of tangata whenua. As such we have an ancestral obligation to ensure that these taonga are protected and managed when passed on to the next generation.  
In the Whanganui River claim the river is described as the aortic artery the central bloodline of the one heart of Te Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi the life source of all things connected to the river. It is incompatible with our knowledge to divide the river into constituent parts of river flats tributaries riverbed banks and tidal and non-tidal areas. 
The Waitangi Tribunal ruled further that a river is a taonga handed down as an ancestral treasure and a living entity whose relationship with the people had been sanctioned by antiquity and ancestral beings. The tribunal’s report for the Mohaka River stated that the river was also a taonga of Ngati Pahauwera when the Treaty was signed and still remained so. The ruling by the tribunal for Pouakani was similar. The Waikato River is a treasure as well for the Tainui canoe and for Ngati Tuwharetoa also. As such the Health (Drinking Water) Amendment Bill is vital not just to prevent public health risks but also to protect and preserve the respect for our taonga tuturu. 
The urgency for action has never been more apparent. In 2003 about 1.1 million New Zealanders were supplied with drinking water that failed to comply with current standards. Many of these causes for non-compliance rested on a failure by suppliers to take proper action including monitoring. Some breaches are more perverse. A couple of years ago in 2002 Northland Regional Council announced that construction work on the prison site at Ngawha was increasing the levels of mercury in the Ngawha Stream. It runs into the Waiaruhe River then into the Waitangi River—the place where the people of Paihia and Waitangi get their water. The report states that mercury levels have increased. Since June heavy rainfall has caused flooding and increased mercury contamination. This is exactly the nature of  
public health emergencies relating to drinking water that we envisage dealt with in this bill. 
Against all this reckless risk and adverse effects I turn to the north also for another case that demonstrates there is always hope in terms of solutions that our people are looking at to ensure our better well-being. For just as the river is always able to force a path through so too tangata whenua have looked to their own resources to resolve what may seem intangible problems such as water pollution. 
The Hokianga project involved safe drinking-water for marae and two communities. Following the floods that devastated the north and south Hokianga communities in 1999 there was an urgent need to ensure safe drinking-water supplies for the small marae-based communities. The floods brought the issue of the already declining water quality to a head with particular concern for dangerous contamination by faecal material for marae which had become the living quarters for families displaced by the landslides. Participating hapu 
and members from local health provider Hauora Hokianga helped to trial the community development model called Nga Puna Wai o Hokianga.  
The upshot of the project was that the Hokianga communities now have safe water supplies using non-chemical treatment systems. Once installed the drinking-water treatment plants are maintained by the communities themselves. The risk from contaminated drinking supplies has been reduced and the communities took on ownership of how to maintain acceptable levels of water quality. In fact so successful was the project that it won the “highly commended” award—second out of nearly 200 entrants—at the 2003 New Zealand * Health Innovation Awards. 
The Maori Party absolutely agrees that s 
tandards are required and need to be enforced given the numerous sources of threats to clean drinking-water that we have but touched on today. The experience in the Nga Puna Wai o Hokianga project exemplifies the solid progress that can be achieved when tangata whenua are able to assume their rightful roles as tangata tiaki of water and resourced to provide co-management with local authorities. These are positive achievements that we can only hope this Parliament will endorse in thinking creatively about solutions to ensure a sustainable safe water supply. 
Therefore to the House to the Assistant Speaker greetings greetings to you all 
.] 
Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.