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The central North Island iwi had been confirmed as owner of the lake bed, the space occupied by the water and the airspace above the lake, via the Taupō Deed, by the Government in 1992 and in modifications to the deed in 2007. Board chairman John Bishara welcomed the ruling. “The trust board is pleased that the High Court has upheld the property rights of Ngāti Tūwharetoa in our taonga, Taupō moana,” he said.
CHRIS MARSHALL/Stuff
The High Court has ruled in favour of the Tūwharetoa Maori Trust Board in seeking to clarify whether it can license and charge commercial operators on Lake Taupō.
Kevin Taylor, who had attended a meeting organised by Henson and traffic engineer Duncan Campbell to discuss changes to the central business district under the Taupō Town Centre Transformation (TTCT), said “to characterise my korero as defensive, means I am damned if I do, damned if I don’t.” The pair have been questioning the rationale in treating a number of intersections in the TTCT plans with traffic lights rather than roundabouts – which they say were signalled in earlier council plans. A council spokesperson has said designs are yet to be finalised though confirmed there are “initial designs for lights along Spa Rd.”
This had garnered 101 responses, noted senior policy advisor Sue Mavor. Councillors were quick to point out that this feedback, and earlier opinions from iwi and Maori organisations had been carefully considered. Kevin Taylor, absent from the November meeting, acknowledged submissions both for and against. He had read them all, he said, along with a legal opinion on council decision-making “and for the record I am in favour of the resolution.”
CHRIS MARSHALL/Stuff
The TaupÅ District Council has confirmed a decision originally made last November to have Maori wards in place for at least the next two local body elections.
CHRIS MARSHALL/Stuff
The future form and funding model for the Lake TaupÅ Protection Trust will be the subject of long term plan reviews for both the TaupÅ District and Waikato Regional Councils.
Whatever its future form, there will be a reshuffling of who picks up the tab for the body managing reduced nitrogen inflows into Lake Taupō. A joint hearings committee made up of Taupō District (TDC) and Waikato Regional Councillors (WRC) will listen to submissions in May on the future of the Lake Taupō Protection Trust. Regardless of what is suggested by submitters and which of three options the committee chooses, change is afoot for who pays to oversee and manage agreements it has with landowners.