Earlier this year, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith in a private meeting with Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones and seafood industry representatives discussed potential changes to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, which is a piece of legislation that replaced the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.
The Takutai Moana Act allows Māori to apply for certain customary rights over the foreshore and seabed under customary marine title.
The government intends to change section 58 of the Act which currently requires an applicant group to prove they have "exclusively used and occupied it from 1840 to the present day without substantial interruption". The proposed changes would change the section 58 test to reduce the 100% of coastline subject to customary marine title to 5%.
As a result, an urgent Waitangi Tribunal claim into the government’s proposed changes to the Act had its hearings this week.
This is the seventh urgent inquiry by the Tribunal into the coalition government’s policies.
Producer Sofia spoke to lawyer at Te Mata Law, Harry Clatworthy (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi, and Ngāti Uenuku-Kōpako), about these proposed changes as well as the historical context of foreshore and seabed ownership in Aotearoa.
On Sunday, the government announced changes to the Fast Track Bill.
Of the most notable of the changes, the Bill will no longer give three ministers sign-off powers, having now delegated that responsibility to a panel of independent experts.
This comes after widespread public protest and submissions against the Bill.
Although these changes mean less power will be concentrated in the hands of three ministers than had been previously proposed, environmental groups continue to criticise the bill, saying these changes are not enough.
Producer Sofia spoke to Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Programme Director, Niamh O’Flynn, about these changes and Greenpeace’s response.
Last week was the annual Local Government New Zealand conference.
Although Auckland Council voted to leave Local Government New Zealand in March last year, notably at the conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he wants councils to “do the basics brilliantly” and not be distracted by “nice-to-haves” and that Cabinet was looking into limiting council expenditure as a result.
Additionally, Auckland Council is currently seeking public input on the future of coastal management in response to the climate crisis.
The Council’s Shoreline Adaptation Programme and Plans look at how Council responds to coastal hazards and climate change over the next 100 years.
Producer Sofia caught up with Councillor Julie Fairey about both of these topics.
For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March about the recent changes to the fast track approvals bill, as well as the government’s plans to remove natural gas import barriers and the contamination of the Ohinemuri river.
He spoke to Kirsten Tilleman from the University of Auckland to talk about active bystanders and the role they play in reducing harassment on Auckland’s public transport.
He spoke to Nicola Owen from Disabled People Against Cuts Aotearoa to talk about austerity measures affecting the disabled community.
And he spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub from the University of Auckland to talk about microplastics in human brain tissue.
Sasha spoke to Samantha Marsh from the University of Auckland to discuss worsening language skills in preschoolers.
He also spoke to Bill Kay Blake from NZ Institute of Economic Research about the rise of forestry farming over livestock farming
Last Sunday, the Cabinet proposed five changes they would make to the Fast-Track Approvals bill, which they recommended to the Environment select committee.
Some of the changes included shifting the final say on fast-tracked projects from ministers to an expert panel, requiring an iwi authority representative to be present on the panel alongside experts in Māori development and the environment, and extending the timeframe for comments on fast-tracked projects.
However, despite Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones saying the changes were based off feedback from submitters to make the fast-tracking process more inclusive, many advocates and experts say the bill still poses a threat to the environment and that it still prioritises development over conservation.
For their weekly catch up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March about the party’s take on the changes to the fast-track approvals bill.
They also talked about the government's plans to remove natural gas import barriers, and arsenic contamination of the Ohinemuri river caused by mining
In a recent research paper funded by Our Land and Water National, the country will continue to see a significant shift away from livestock into pine forestry.
The implications this will have will not only be seen in nature, but also in the communities that rely on yearly income to support their families, rather than income that comes every twenty-five years. This paper also highlights the environmental issues that come with this transition, however neither are great for the environment.
Sasha spoke to Bill Kaye Blake, leading author of this paper on what’s driving the trend of replacing livestock farms with pine forestry.
95bFM 
