| Abstract |
Keywords: Ngati Tuwharetoa, Kawerau geothermal field, Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets The Kawerau Geothermal Field (KGF) lies in the northern Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) near and under the town of Kawerau, New Zealand, situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. Ngati Tuwharetoa views the geothermal resource as a taonga provided for them when Ngatoroirangi disembarked from the Te Arawa waka in the 1300’s from Hawiiki. Tuwharetoa is a fourth generation descendant of Ngatoroirangi, who had mana whenua and exercised rangatiratanga over the area. Maori settled in the Kawerau area since that time, using geothermal for cooking, horticulture and warmth and believe it is their taonga (treasure). In 1952 the New Zealand Government passed an Act of Parliament which gave itself the sole rights to take, tap and use the geothermal energy. The town of Kawerau and the Kawerau industrial site were intentionally located above the KGF in the early 1950s to enable the use of the geothermal resource. The purpose of the industrial site was to process logs from the surrounding forests to produce newsprint, wood pulp and lumber. In 2003, Ngati Tuwharetoa (BoP)signed a Deed of Settlement (“Deed”) with the Crown to settle grievances arising from breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Crown, and as part of the Settlement Ngati Tuwharetoa (BoP)’s historical connection with the KGF was recognised by way of statutory acknowledgement. The Ngati Tuwharetoa (BOP) Settlement Trust (NTST) was established to give effect to the Treaty Settlement. NTST established its subsidiary company, Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets Ltd (NTGA), who acquired the Crown’s interests and assets in the Kawerau steam field in 2005. This purchase was highly significant as it enabled Ngati Tuwharetoa (BoP) to reconnect with the geothermal taonga. Today, the operations of NTGA have expanded and NTGA is considered to be one of the world’s largest suppliers of geothermal direct heat energy for industrial use, which equates to half of the world's total steam supply for industrial applications. The cultural connection to the resource and a sustainable management approach are critical to the Trust’s ongoing expectations of NTGA’s present and future operations. |