Looking for a modern day Norman Kirk to take on toxic legacy of New Plymouth's Paritutu site
Jim Tucker is a writer and journalist based in New Plymouth OPINION: Retired columnist/cartoonist Tom Scott has just written a highly favourable review of a book by his friend Denis Welch about former prime minister Norm Kirk, whose achievements included eschewing war, protesting nuclear testing, building meaningful links to Asia and Africa, launching NZ Day...and saving Lake Manapouri from being drowned. Its that last one Im contemplating as I think what to write about the restoration of one of Taranakis most spectacular natural outlooks, the former site of the IWD chemical plant at Paritutu. After becoming prime minister in the 1972 general election partly fought on the prospect of several South Island lakes being raised 30 metres to provide power for the new Comalco aluminium plant Kirk created the Guardians of Lake Manapouri, Monowai and Te Anau to preserve the lake levels. They still do. He probably wouldnt get away with such direct interference these days, such has been the far-reaching influence of the Resource Management Act for the past 30-plus years. The current government has just split it three ways, the stated aim being to simplify things, as well as accommodate climate change. But although this iteration has yet to be tested, opponents already dismiss it as no less bureaucratic and obstructive as before. Which brings me to this: I wonder if anyone standing in this election is game to do a Kirk anyway and find a novel way to resolve what continues to be a persistent blight on New Plymouth. Out of curiosity, I recently wrote to a dozen candidates or admin officers for Labour (4), National (2), the Greens (2), Act (2), Te Paati Maori (1) and NZ First (1) and asked: If you become or remain an MP this coming general election, what support, funding and priority will you and your party give to ensuring the IWD site is made safe for public use as quickly as possible? I put the question directly to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins when he visited on August 10. He said such a matter would be under the consent process, so he could not insert himself. The office of senior Labour minister Andrew Little (from New Plymouth) said: Glenn (sic) Bennett will be providing a contribution to this as a candidate. Nothing has been heard. National MP for Taranaki and King Country, Barbara Kuriger, says she would leave it to the partys New Plymouth candidate, David MacLeod. He rang to brief me on the basis of his long experience as chairman of Taranaki Regional Council. According to him, the fact the site is privately owned (by Dow) most likely means theres no legal opening for any government to directly involve itself. He promised to provide written comment along those lines but so far nothing has arrived. Two list MPs Te Paati Maoris Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Labours Angela Roberts did email replies, the former within a day of being asked. Ngarewa-Packer said in part: Hapu and iwi have an association with Paritutu. It is a shared interest area between Taranaki Iwi and Te Atiawa. Ngati Tairi Hapu (Taranaki) and Ngati Te Whiti Hapu (Te Atiawa) have mana whenua where Dow ag are situated. There are wahi tapu including urupa on the property, which was also a papakainga (settlement) and a battle ground. So we stand in solidarity with mana whenua rights to leading and facilitating the investigation and remediation project, a multi-million dollar project which must be fully resourced by government. Angela Roberts said IWD is just one of the growing number of legacy pollution issues that are emerging across the country, testing regulatory frameworks in different ways. While our government will not be directly intervening in this issue, I believe that any government has a significant role to play in ensuring that the regulatory frameworks are fit for purpose. Being responsive to the opportunities to improve legislation to ensure the restoration and protection of our whenua is critical. NZ Firsts Winston Peters says he has a longstanding interest via his dealings with Vietnam War vets (IWD made ingredients for Agent Orange) and will consider making a statement once he knows more about whats happening. Im hoping to assist with that by meeting soon with Mayor Neil Holdom and an iwi representative to ask where theyre at, since it seems resolution is being left to local rather than central government. And thats it. Both the Greens and Act (who have no Taranaki candidates) promised responses, but theres no sign of anything yet. Nor of any modern-day Norman Kirks.