My Taranaki Anniversary Day 10

Why worry?

 

Why would anyone worry about a war which ended 150 years ago?

 

Well, it is not as buried in antiquity as that question makes it sound.

 

Because the issues that were raised by the war, and the questions that the peace settlement left unanswered, are still very much alive.

 

If you ask a Waitara resident today what is the No 1 political question in that town, you will almost certainly get the answer:"The Pekapeka Block leases".

 

The Pekapeka Block is the area of land that originally was the subject of the sale proposal that was opposed by Te Wiremu Kingi and insisted on by the Governor, to the extent of starting the fighting in 1860.

 

After the war, as the town came to be settled, the land was largely divided into sections, which were leased to various people.

 

At a later stage the leases were sold or given to the Waitara Harbour Board by the Crown, and when that body was disestablished, the leases were acquired by the North Taranaki County, which was eventually amalgamated at the end of the last century with several other local bodies to form the New Plymouth District Council, which now administers them.

 

Some years ago the leadership of the Council gave an assurance to the leaseholders that they would be able to freehold their properties. They regard that as a binding promise.

 

But in the meantime the Crown has been negotiating with the local iwi, Te Atiawa, over its Treaty Settlement. Naturally, Te Atiawa want their land returned as the cornerstone of their settlement, or as much of it as still remains in public ownership.

 

And the jewel in their crown is the Pekapeka Block. So, the proposal is that the Government buy the land back from the Council, and make it part of the Treaty Settlement. But the leaseholders want the promise of freeholding to them to be honoured. And meantime no-one knows what will happen, so further improvements are stalled.

 

So it is very important to all four parties, including all the ratepayers of the New Plymouth District Council, who are also taxpayers, whatever is decided by their representatives.

 

Keep watching this space. "Those who don't learn from history will live to see it repeat itself."

(We could go on to much more about the significance of Taranaki Anniversary Day, but perhaps ten posts is enough for this year!)