Opinion: People often ask me if I miss being mayor. It is true I miss many of the people I used to work with. But I also miss some of the events I would have been invited to, especially those that close the loop on a venture that had its genesis during my time as mayor. It’s wonderful seeing such projects come to fruition.
This was why I was so thrilled to be invited to the launch of the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre and runway at Kaitōrete.
For those who are not familiar with the area, it is south of Ōtautahi Christchurch at the turnoff to Birdlings Flat on the road to Akaroa. It is often referred to as Kaitōrete Spit and is the land that connects Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) to the ocean.
Tāwhaki is a joint venture partnership between Kaitōrete Limited (which represents Wairewa and Te Taumutu Rūnanga) and the Crown.
The website talks to the dual kaupapa of Tāwhaki.
Whānau and hapū are leading the healing and rejuvenation of Kaitōrete, while participating in the development of a sustainable aerospace industry, which in turn will enable the partnership to invest in the restoration of the environmental and ecological values of the area.
The first time the area was used as a launching pad dates back to the 1960s when Nasa used it to launch sub-orbital rockets.
The next time it was in the limelight for aerospace purposes was 2015 when Peter Beck from Rocket Lab announced he would use Kaitōrete as the location to build the world’s first commercial orbital launch range, though he eventually chose the site at Māhia instead.
I remember how disappointed I was that our region was not chosen for this development, but fast forward to 2021 when the Tāwhaki joint venture was announced, and I couldn’t have been happier. This was a much better proposal as it offered the opportunity to restore the ecological values of an internationally significant area that had been badly degraded, while offering a platform for the sustainable development of a significant industry for the future. This would create the opportunity for new career paths for rangatahi as well.
None of this would have been possible without a strategic partnership between the government and mana whenua. From purchasing the site, restoring it to mana whenua, joining them at the governance table as partners, and providing funding towards the building of the runway, this has been a model for international best practice.
At the launch, one of the board members, David Perenara-O’Connell, told us that once the funding was there and the consents were granted, the runway took three months to build. And it came in on time and within budget. That phrase used to be music to my ears as a cabinet minister and as mayor. He also said this investment would deliver more than a thousand high-value, high-wage jobs, and up to $2.4 billion in economic benefits over the next 10 years.
But it was his reference to the unique nature of this venture that struck a real chord for me, particularly in light of the debate we are about to have about ‘equality before the law’, when so much was taken from Māori in breach of the obligations created by a Treaty, no matter which version is read.
Perenara-O’Connell said that the way in which Tāwhaki weaves mātauranga Māori together with cutting-edge innovation in aerospace and environmental rejuvenation marked a new era in sustainable land use.
They are connected and complementary, and as was said “help us understand our world and to navigate the future together”.
And that’s what takes us into a global conversation that is necessary and urgent.
It seems to me that collaboration lies at the heart of this approach, along with respect for traditional knowledge. This is something Aotearoa is uniquely placed to lead given our size and the capacity to secure, as was done in this case, the cooperation of our government, local authorities, regulators, aerospace partners, research and science communities, and suppliers. This is how Tāwhaki will become a world-leading hub for innovation and exploration, at the same time as restoring the land to its rightful place physically and metaphorically.
I once discovered a definition for kaitiakitanga that I adapted slightly to allow it to speak to the values that such a relationship of trust requires.
Kaitiakitanga is more than stewardship, guardianship, preservation and protection, and yet it is all of them. It recognises the relationship between everything and everybody in the natural world – there being no distinction between people and their environment. It is completely independent of ‘ownership’ in a European sense. It is seamless and all encompassing – making no distinction between moana and whenua – the sea and the land. It ensures any use is sustainable, because it is an intergenerational responsibility – past, present and future – a duty of care owed as much to our ancestors as to our children’s grandchildren.
When viewed through this lens, we can see the significance of Tāwhaki and how two separate world views can come together for the benefit of us all and the planet we share.
