Ngati Ranginui Iwi's standing at the Rena consent hearing is questioned and its mandate derided in a hard hitting submisison from Ngai Tamarawaho kaumatua Peri Kohu.

Ngai Tamarawaho is a hapu of the Ngati Ranginui iwi. Ngai Tamarawaho support's Motiti Island's Ngai Te Hapu call for the removal of the wreck of the containership Rena from Astrolabe Reef.

Peri kohu. Photo: Supplied.

Ngati Ranginui Iwi supports the Rena owners and insurers application for resource consent to leave the remainder of the wreck on the reef, a confidential decisoin the board made without consulting its constituent hapu, says Peri.

'The panel should be aware that the decision taken by board members of the Ngati Ranginui Iwi Society only, was arrived at without consultation with their constituent hapu, Ngai Tamarawaho being one of them,” Peri says in his submission.

'The board was established to represent and advance the views of the hapu and in my opinion had no authority to make the decision it did. That was made clear to the board members at a hui at Huria Marae on July 1. Board members present including our own were severly castigated on these points.”

The points are: The failure to consult with hapu on the agreement they signed with the owners and insurers. The fact the agreement was confidential and could not be discussed with constituent hapu.The fact the board as part of that agreement withdrew from the process.

'The fact that as part of the agreement the board agreed to deny constituent hapu the right to make submisisons at these hearings,” says Peri.

'From my observation a clear majority of hapu within Ngati Ranginui were opposed to the board's decision to sign the agreement, whose details still remain confidential; with the owners and insurers.”

Any agreement reached by the board with the owners and insurers is not worth the paper it is printed on, and it should definitely not be regarded by this panel as meaning the applications are not opposed by Ngati Ranginui Iwi, says Peri.

The board has refused to rescind its agreement, in spite of being so instructed by a majority decision at the July 1, hui.

'I believe that the consequences of refusing to heed the hapu's wish will be reflected when board election time comes around.”

Ngai Tamarawaho has had absolutely no money or funding from the various funds established to deal with the results of the Rena disaster.

'To describe the Ranginui Iwi Society decision to withdraw opposition to the application as being pragmatic, sensible, objective and rational is an enourmous embellishment of actions taken by this board acting without mandate, sanction and in my opinion, standing,” says Peri.