Jones Shane: Kerikeri National Trust Bill — Second Reading 
Jones Shane: Kerikeri National Trust Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:639;Page:9876] 
SHANE JONES (Labour) 
: 
 Kia ora no tatou. I say to all of our New Zealand whanau listening up in Tai Tokerau in the event that they include the three or four people in New Zealand who know about the Kerikeri National Trust Bill that this evening this legislation is being consigned to history. The bill was one that flowed from the efforts of my colleague from the far north John Carter to try to coordinate a planning and resource allocation effort around a particularly important site in respect of Aotearoa’s history—a site of great beauty to those of us in the far north. The site I refer to is in the township of Kerikeri the name of which means “to dig”. It is a term that reminds us that prior to European settlement Kerikeri was already known as a place highly admired for gardening. It was a horticultural paradise. Unfortunately for some of our Maori whanau gardening traits do exist in our mokopuna but they grow something else somewhere else. There will be more on that at a later date or people can take their inquiries to the Maori Party. 
The name Kerikeri was laid upon that particular locality through Te Hotete the father of the great and fearless Ngapuhi warrior chief and tupuna to my whanaunga here Hone Harawira: Hongi Hika. Hongi Hika had his pa at a small hill known as Kororipo which is just to the south-east of the current location of the bridge. I say “current” because that bridge is soon to go despite the best efforts of a small group of active but ill-informed voters in the Kerikeri region. That group has yet to realise that there has been a massive injection of both interest and capital towards the upkeep of the environment around Kororipo and Kerikeri through the Prime Minister taking an interest in the Kerikeri Stone Store Kemp House and the general tone and qualities of the basin. 
Let me just traverse—not for too long Mr Deputy Speaker—more of the history that no doubt informed Mr Carter to ensure that the House endeavoured to do something to aid the efforts of maintaining this site. Te Hotete moved from an area inland currently known as Waimate North but which we in the north call Tauhara. He had a pa there called Whakataha—Mr Hodgson spoke about his missionary tupunas getting married there. There is a great deal of history and heritage around this area. The Ngati Rehia people along with their teina from Ngati Torohina have taken an active interest in it. Indeed in earlier decades an actual marae was planned. That was in the time when our kaumatua Tu Kemp who has long since gone was a young man. 
I must in this speech acknowledge Remaria Kapa who recently passed away—I say to Mr Carter—and who was a great supporter of goodwill between the Kerikeri community and the Ngati Rehia people. 
Ngati Rehia and Ngati Torohina have maintained an active interest in the area. Local families local ratepayers and local residents joined together to preserve part of the local nature heritage and created Rewa’s Village. Of course Rewa along with Tareha is one of the Ngati Rehia tupuna. So this is an area where the people descend from some of the original tupuna who accepted embraced and cared for original pioneers and missionaries. After Samuel Marsden came to Aotearoa he was first out at Oihi the site where our first missionary kauhau was offered. Then when he fell under the korowai of Hongi Hika he came into Kerikeri. 
So this site actually deserves the level of attention that it is getting. It certainly will benefit from the leadership shown by Helen Clark in improving its priority in the Budget list of items for the Ministry for Arts Culture and Heritage. Although the bill we look at tonight is consigned it has been overtaken by another exercise that may turn into legislation. As I have reflected to Mr Carter if the current group of advisers and people working with Mr Mike Simm do not get it right then I look forward to possibly another bill coming to the House to make sure they damn well do get it right. 
It is essential that the final kaupapa planning framework and resource allocation strategy put together for this site involves the tangata whenua. It does not involve people who may come from my tribe further north but it involves the people who actually know the names and the history—the urupas and the wahi tapus—and are able to give some life and colour to that particular area. Although others of us in the north do have a connection our connection is nowhere near as intimate as that of the people of Ngati Rehia and no doubt we will hear more about that in the future. 
The bill reflects the fact that despite the best efforts of Don Brash there was someone in the National Party who was interested in heritage and biculturalism and who respects the fact that in order for these sites in our part of Aotearoa to be suitably protected and enjoy good stewardship it has to be done by both peoples. I commend him for having made the effort. I share a little bit of his confidence that the work that is under way at the moment will actually deliver a tauira—an example of how these sites can be guarded shared and developed by both the tangata whenua and representatives of the Crown. 
The people of Kerikeri must all understand that they live in an area that contains some of the oldest colonial sites. As time goes on these sites will be seen as an iconic reflection of the early times when the races met co-mingled and occasionally fought. Right in front of the Kerikeri Stone Store lie many sites of history that take us back to the battles between the various Maori tribes the encounters between the missionaries and the chiefs and the attempts of the granddaughters and grandsons of the chiefs to embrace English language education etc. I think that as time goes on we in this House should encourage not only the bureaucrats and ourselves but also all New Zealand families to respect cherish and own all these sites as a part of our distinctive history in Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Aotearoa. Kia ora tatou.