CURRENT SITUATION

This section gives you a snapshot of Rakautaua 9 right now from a beneficiary perspective.

It tries to consider every aspect associated with the property and its impact.

It is objective and deals with facts only. Not here-say. Not conjecture. No subjectivity.

Block details

Block Name: Rakautaua 9

District: Aotea

Land Status: Maori Freehold Land

Structure Type: Ahu Whenua Trust

Number of Shares: 33

Current number of owners: 831

Area of land: 139.9825 hectares

The Rakautaua Block was originally 3415 acres when first surveyed and recognised in 1867.

The land was initially administered by the Maori Incorporation. This was wound up in 1963 and taken over by another Government department.

The Trust was set up in the Maori Land Court Aotea District on 23 February 1998. The Rakautaua No 9 Trust and was set up as an Ahu Whenua Trust under Sections 215, 220 and 222 of the Te Ture Whenua Maori Land Act 1993.

Current Trustees

Anita Rangiwahia Seymour
Arapiu Seymour
Frances Merekanara Huwyler
Mary Ruihi Smith Topine
Mary Wakefield
Nahona Wiremu Paki
Ruihi Manawaroa
Waru Allen
Whare Gray Te Maari

The Property

The block is very light sandy country bordering the Tasman Sea at Whangaehu Beach and flanked along the western boundary by the Whangaehu River mouth.

The lease-holders freehold property runs along the eastern border.

The property is properly fenced and is subdivided into four paddocks.

There is some 330 acres and approximately 130 acres is being utilised. The better area of the property is situated in the north-western corner.

A report described the property as coastal sandy country of mainly dune dominant soils which include some flatter swampy land. The beach itself is littered by driftwood brought there from the river and from the sea.

On the other side of the Whangaehu River is the Whiiau Scientific Reserve & Whitiau Scenic Reserve.

There is evidence that a reserve runs right along the beach.

Vegetation

Over three quarters of the estuary is bare mud or sand.

Only in the East is indigenous vegetation noted, though with sand movement and floods, conditions would allow the vegetation to spread or cause it to recede over time.

By the road there is a small band of raupo, a few metres wide, which gives way to a hectare or so of Three Square (mostly over one metre tall). Also common here are:

• Schoenoplectus validus
• Bolboschoenus caldwellii
• Sea rush
• Trigochin striatum
• Sharp Spike Edge
• Leptinella
• Subsp. Dioica
• Baumea rubignosa
• Bachelors button

Further from the road, the Three Square is lower (less than one metre) and sparser and there are more herbs. Most common of these are:

• Trigochin striatum
• Lilaeopsis Novae-Zelandiae (under 10cm and 3cm respectively)
• Leptinella
• Subsp. Dioica
• Limosella lineata
• Bachelors button

Few weeds were recorded and these were exotic grasses only at the edges, near the road. Some trampling and grazing by sheep and rabbits was noted, as was slight damage be recreational vehicles but neither problems appear serious.

A large portion of the property is raw sand and is in a mixture or marran grass, lupin, some boxthorn and hardy nature grasses and rushes. There have been attempts to stabilise the shifting nature of the sands by planting pingao, kikuyu and buffalo grasses and spinafex with little resuls.

There is a rare type of Rush growing on the property called the Jointed Wire Brush and has been identified by the Rangitikei District Council as a unique plant to the area.

Other plants included the nationally threatened Dwarf Musk. The District wanted to create a 100 metre protection zone around the indigenous vegetation and fauna.

Part of the land has undergone a stabilisation programme with the Regional Council over more exposed regions with the bulk of the land comprising poorer coastal grasses.

It is essential that the area is not over-grazed as the ecology is fragile and will result in sand-blowing being created as the property is exposed (This paragraph is noted in the issues section).

Parts of the property are identified as Recommended Area for Protection (RAP) under the proposed Rangitikei District Plan released in 1995. The intention being to protect area containing significant indigenous vegetation and habitats and indigenous fauna on the Whangaehu – Turakina swamps.

Weather

There is a strong prevailing Westerly wind that blows along the beach. The windy nature of the property has given way to blow holes being an on-going issue.

The Whangaehu and Turakina Rivers

The land is flanked along its western border by the Whangaehu River.

In recent times, the Turakina River makes its presence felt from time to time a few kilometres away to the East.

The water levels are not great and at times the land is dry and other times it floods. This is because the land is lower than the Turakina River and when the river breaks its banks, the water supply travels down the middle of this block due to altering the natural watercourse of the river.

When was last time it flooded and where?

The Beach

I know it is rated four out of five stars for having a consistent left break if you are surfing and that’s about it.

Reserve

There is a Reserve along the beach area between Turakina and Whangaehu beaches. My understanding is that no legal access was provided.

Traditional site

Herewahine is a sand dune on the boundary between the Rakautaua and Waipu blocks. It is named after an ancestor who sighted beach sperm whales (paraoa) in the area.

Wildlife

The swampy areas of the land give rise to a number of different birds in the area. The most important one being the rare fern bird which is unique to Whangaehu Beach as it breeds there and nowhere else in New Zealand.

Forestry

During 1986/1987 the leasee and the Rangitikei Catchment Board planted 20,000 pine trees each to stop soil erosion.

There was conversation that the land could be better suited to plant all in trees.

Beneficiaries

As at 4 February 2005 there are 843 beneficiaries.

The Trust does not currently maintain a register of contact details of beneficiaries.

Lease of land

An area of 131.1181 hectares is leased to the local farmer Bruce McGregor Craig.

It was renewed for nine years effective from 1 January 2005.

His property backs on to the eastern boundary and has been farming the land since 1974.

He pays an amount of ??? annually and uses the land to graze his stock of 500 cows.

Baches

There are twelve baches on the property.

Prior consent was not sought from Rakautaua 9.

Two people live there permanently. The remainder are used sporadically or not at all.

Six are inside the property boundary fence and six just outside the boundary fence.

Three of the baches inside boundary appear to be habitable and are being used. The other three are run-down.

Three baches outside the boundary are being lived in while the others are currently empty.

The baches outside the boundary fence are not on Trust land but they come under its jurisdiction, as the MLC adjudicated the Trust to administer the area. The land is designated a Maori Reserve by an Order of the Court.

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between those living at the beach and the Trust. It gives them lifetime interest to stay there until their death at which time their bach / property becomes the property of the Trust and cannot be bequeathed to relatives. Restrictions have been put in place also as to what modification the squatters can make to their property.

The tenants pay koha of $250.00 per annum.

Urupa (Cemetery)

There is an Urupa at the beach. Further details to come.

Road access

There is currently no policy or criteria to maintain the 2 kilometre metalled access road to the beach.

It would seem that the road is a public access right of way road all the way to the beach.

Other considerations

We need to ensure that the plan considers the following:

· Land - Papatuanuku

· Water – Te Waipuna Ariki

· Airspace – Te Ha o Ranginui

· Sacred places – Waahi Tupuna

· Forests – Te Wao tu nui a Tane

· Flora and fauna – Nga Otaota me nga Atianga Kararehe

Financial Statements

Details of these are yet to be determined.