Ngāti Kuku spokesperson Joel Ngātuere has pushed back against NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones, following comments Jones made during a livestream last week where he criticised the hapū’s legal challenges to the Stella Passage development.
Ngātuere spoke to Aukaha News at Whareroa Marae and said Ngāti Kuku, along with many other Tauranga Moana hapū, opposed the fast-tracked project.
“ko te karauna e tāhaetia i te nuinga o tō mātou whenua mō te wāpu, me kei te tautokohia me hangaia ngā kamupene i ngaukino i patua mai i ā mātou.”
Ngātuere said Ngāti Kuku, supported by many Tauranga Moana hapū, oppose the fast-tracked port expansion, citing not only a lack of proper iwi engagement dating back to the 2011 dredging process, but also longstanding environmental and historical grievances - including the 1917 legislation that enabled the Crown to seize Ngāti Kuku land to establish the Port of Tauranga.
He pointed out the Environment Court had also raised concerns, and that the Port of Tauranga had failed to properly engage with iwi during the 2011 harbour dredging decision.
“Kāore te kōti taiao e whakaora te Judge’s decision, kia tūpato e te minita he pātai mō te minita rā. Ko tōna pirangi ki te whakahē, ki te whakakāhore te judicial system?
What is the Stella Passage?
The Stella Passage, a key route within Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour, is central to a major Port of Tauranga expansion that proposes extending the Sulphur Point container berth by up to 385 metres in two stages and lengthening the Mount Maunganui wharves by 315 metres.
The project would convert existing cargo storage land into new berthing space, while also reclaiming about 1.8 hectares at each site and dredging adjacent waters to accommodate larger vessels.
Fast-track proposal
The fast-track approvals process allows major infrastructure and development projects to bypass the standard Resource Management Act (RMA) consenting system.
Instead, applications are referred directly to an expert panel or decision-making body, speeding up timelines and limiting opportunities for public submissions or appeals.
In the case of the Port of Tauranga, the Stella Passage expansion has been advanced through this process, which has raised concerns among hapū like Ngāti Kuku, who argue it reduces meaningful consultation with iwi and minimises scrutiny of environmental and cultural impacts.
But Shane Jones says that Māori businesses in industries like aquaculture will benefit the most, citing the proximity of the port to places like Te Whakatōhea.
“Whakaarongia mai ki ngā kūtai me ngā Kuku e meatia mai ana i whakatōhea pai ana hau te āwhina i ngā hapū katoa engari kore au e whakaae kia riro mā ngā pātaka kai o te ao kohatu, hei herehere i ā tātou mō te whakaranea i te ōhanga i tēnei wā.”
