2. Background Volume One Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi In Marlborough, Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toa Rangitira, Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne and Te Ātiawa have a unique and rich cultural and spiritual heritage as tangata whenua. Collectively, the eight iwi are referred to throughout the MEP as Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi. The RMA sets up a special relationship between iwi, the Crown and local authorities. The relationship is initially identified through the purpose and principles of the RMA, whereby those seeking to achieve the purpose of the RMA must recognise and provide for as a matter of national importance: • the relationship of Māori and their culture and traditions with their ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu and other taonga; • the protection of recognised customary activities; and • the protection of historic heritage from inappropriate subdivision, use and development. The RMA further requires that particular regard is had to kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and that the purpose and principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi are taken into account in sustainably managing Marlborough’s natural and physical resources. In developing a regional policy statement, regional plan or district plan, the Council must take into account any relevant planning document recognised by an iwi authority and lodged with the Council, to the extent the document has a bearing on resource management issues for Marlborough. 1 These documents are often commonly referred to as iwi management plans. Iwi management plans are generally prepared as an expression of rangatiratanga to help iwi and hapū exercise their kaitiaki roles and responsibilities. These plans are a written statement identifying important issues regarding the use of natural and physical resources in the rohe of an iwi and often cover more than RMA matters. Not all of Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi had prepared iwi management plans at the time the MEP was prepared . Subsequently, resource consent applications or plan changes made after the MEP becomes o perative may need to consider resource man age men rl ted prv ns of a n iwi tea oisio management plan. Additionally, the RMA requires that the resource management issues of significance to iwi authorities in Marlborough must be included in a regional policy statement. Through a series of hui with Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi, three distinct groups of resource management issues have been identified: • cultural issues of fundamental importance that relate to the connection an iwi has to natural and physical resources; • relationship and process issues, including iwi involvement in decision making on resource consent applications and on developing policy to assist in Council’s decision making; and • issues of significance or concern for iwi as well as for the wider community. In light of this, issues of significance to Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi have been identified and addressed in three different ways. First, Chapter 3 of Volume 1 describes the core resource management issues of significance for Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi. This chapter also 1 In addition, the Council also has obligations in respect to planning documents prepared under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, where the content of those documents has a bearing on resource management issues in the region. At the time the MEP was notified, no such management plans were in pla ce. 2 – 4