B&A, in collaboration with Sanson & Associates, worked with the co-management Board (equal iwi and Council representation) that governs Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe (90 Mile Beach) to prepare a management plan for the beach in accordance with settlement legislation.
Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe has been a vital resource of food, transport, cultural and spiritual sustenance and recreation for Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi. Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe is also a part of Te Ara Wairua (spirits pathway), which is of utmost cultural and spiritual importance to Te Hiku Iwi.
The project scope went well beyond the traditional statutory planning requirements of the RMA. While the settlement legislation established a process for the development of the Management Plan, this was untested and left flexibility for the Board, Iwi and Councils to develop a process for the development of the plan in accordance with Tikanga Māori and community aspirations. This project was one of its kind and included extensive and multifaceted engagement with and buy-in from Te Hiku iwi.
