3. Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi Volume One single or small number of houses for whān au or iwi members, through to small settlements involving kaumātua housing, kōhanga reo, cottage industries, places of worship and marae. Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi wish to have the freedom to establish papakinga activities on ā Māo ri land to meet the housing and social needs of iwi members. The intention is to improve the quality of life of whānau and iwi in a manner consistent with their cultural values and customs. In seeking the ability to adequately house and sustain iwi and whān au members, Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi recognise that papakāinga must be developed in a manner that is consistent with the surrounding environment. In particular, that the physical needs of the settlement, in terms of water supply and waste disposal, should be met without adverse effects on the environment. RELATIONSHIP AND PROCESS ISSUES Issue 3G – Lack of representation and recognition of iwi values in decision making processes. Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi share a collective concern that their spiritual and cultural values are not being recognised in resource management decision making and believe that this is contributing to Issues 3A to 3F. The two areas of particular concern are resource consent applications and resource management policy development, where Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi believe they should have greater involvement in decision making than they currently do. They believe that such involvement would better fulfil the Council’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi and, in doing so, ensure spiritual and cultural values would be given appropriate recognition. The RMA provides opportunities for the direct involvement of tangata whenua in the sustainable management of their ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu and other taonga. It also requires the Council to have particular regard to kaitiakitanga and requires the principles of Te Tiriti to be taken into account. Te Tiriti principles indicate the need to involve tangata whenua in decision making that affects them. There are also provisions in the RMA for iwi authorities to be consulted in the preparation of policy statements and plans. It is therefore necessary that the Council implements mechanisms and processes for Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi to be involved in resource management decision making as a practical expression of kaitiakitanga and as part of ensuring adequate identification of the effects and provision for protection of the values of iwi. Iwi have identified barriers to full and active participation, including a lack of mechanisms for participation, and seek the Council’s co-operation to break down these barriers. Ideally, meaningful involvement in such processes would represent a partnership in a manner consistent with the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi. However, iwi recognise that there is also a capacity issue in achieving any such partnership (see Issue 3I below). Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi believe that they share a common goal with the Council of sustaining the environment and natural resources. They therefore welcome the opportunity to explore ways of improving their participation in resource management decision making processes as a practical expression of kaitiakitanga. Issue 3H – The importance of consulting with iwi. Marlborough’s tangata whenua iwi believe it is important for a resource consent/plan change applicant to consult with the relevant iwi authority where the interests of an iwi may potentially be affected by a proposal. Indicators of the matters that may affect an iwi are set out in Section 6(e) and Section 7(a) of the RMA. The provisions of this chapter and other chapters in the MEP also assist to identify these matters. Consultation with the iwi authority allows an assessment of cultural effects to be carried out and, where necessary, the preparation of a cultural impact assessment as part of the process of assessing environmental effects. 3 – 12