He Whetū Mārama
We recognise and respect the Crown’s responsibility to take appropriate account of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Our He Whetū Mārama framework is a pou or pillar supporting this and informed decision making and productive relationships with Māori.
He Whetū Mārama is our framework for incorporating Māori perspectives and mātauranga into the policies, processes, and decisions of the EPA.
It was developed in collaboration with Ngā Kaihautū Tikanga Taiao (our statutory Māori advisory committee), members of Te Herenga (our network of regionally-based Māori environmental practitioners), and Ngā Parirua o te Mātauranga (kaumātua drawn from Te Herenga network).
Four guiding principles references in He Whetū Mārama
Tiakitanga/protection
We are committed to the principle of active protection of Māori interests. This includes:
- undertaking our mandate to the full
- taking into account the impact of our work in 3, 30, and 300 years
- having a stewardship role
- our commitment to compliance, monitoring and enforcement.
We are committed to taking positive steps to ensure that Māori interests, mātauranga, tikanga, and experience are valued in the our decision making and activities.
Waka hourua/partnership
We are committed to acting reasonably, honourably and in good faith to ensure the making of informed decisions on matters affecting the interests of Māori. The Board and Ngā Kaihautū operate with a parthership relationship.
We are committed to developing enduring relationships with Māori, including iwi, hapū, and our Te Herenga network based on shared goals and shared responsibility on achieving these goals.
Whai wāhi/participation
We are committed to growing the respect and confidence of New Zealanders, that we hear their voices, and listen to their concerns. This includes having a process to enable early consultation and the effective engagement and input of Māori.
Pito mata/potential
We acknowledge the ongoing rights of Māori to develop economically, culturally, spiritually, and physically.
We recognise that EPA decision making and activities have impacts on the direction for future growth and development in a Māori cultural and economic setting and the potential for harm, as well as the potential for good, when the environment is protected.
He Whetū Mārama is a fundamental framework for the EPA and we are committed to its ongoing development and implementation. It is a guiding hand on the way we approach our work, be it decision making, engagement, our policies and rules, and our approach to governance.