Thread: Tuhoe Banish Hunters

Front Page of Todays Waikato Times.

Hunters with Department Of Conservation-issued permits have been kicked out of the Urewera Ranges as Tuhoe flexes its muscles after regaining control of the National Park. Hunting in Te Urewera National Park has been suspended indefinitely and all DOC permits to hunt or run pig dogs in the area are now void.

The dramatic changes come on the heels of the Te Urewera act in which Te Urewera's status as a National Park was rescinded and management ceded to the new Te Urewera Board a joint Crown owned Tuhoe partnership.

Doc communications and engagement adviser Robert Orchard said permits to hunt Te Urewera National Park were no longer available.

"We're not issuing permits. DOC hunting permits are not being recognised by the board that's all I can say". ............

So there is going to be a bunch of people hunting there soon with no permits it take it. I may be one of them.

I just started a similar thread

Here's the paper link...
Tuhoe banishes hunters in Urewera | Stuff.co.nz

My thinking is that as they (DOC) have not notifies permit holders of the situation, then any current permit must be biding.
I realise that if faced with a bunch of aggrieved locals, this is not really going to carry any weight, but legally, it must stand

Clyde Grafs FB page this week had a quote from TH management. THey said they are working out a new process, since DOC permits no longer apply, the system to manage hunters will be by permit too (eventually) as per this page Governance and Management : Tuhoe.

I expect it wouldn't take much for them to start charging access.

One good thing is they won't be supporting a 1080 dump in the Urewares.

Anything to make a buck. It didnt take them long to stop hunting via permits issued by DOC. I see that no new concession will be issued until April 2015. Is this in relation to hunting permit? I was planing a trip down that way with a permit so I guess it will now be planed without a permit.

Bet you will be allowed in if you pay them a nice sum. Tuhoe being tutoe

I think it highly likely that hunting access will be issued on a user pays basis and personally I do not struggle with Tuhoe doing so if it is properly administered and the charges are fair and equitable. The crown in giving the management of Te Uruwera back to Tuhoe as part of the settlement with them acknowledged that Tuhoe never gave up their up their ownership of Te Uruwera and never were a party to the Treaty of Waitangi. As much as I am a strong advocate for a non discriminatory, classless, one nation New Zealand, my feeling is that they have the right to treat the area in the same way that any other owner of private land can and that they equally have the right to either allow free access or to charge a fee. We may not like it but mark my words "so it will be".

It was a given that this would be the outcome.

Good on them it is there land ,it will still be hunted by NZers in which in the near future we may or may not be charged for the permits ,nothing wrong with user pays ..

Pretty emotive title, the trustee group hasn't appointed somebody to the position that will take care of permits yet.

Originally Posted by distant stalker

Pretty emotive title, the trustee group hasn't appointed somebody to the position that will take care of permits yet.

Agreed. Could have done themselves a favour with a little forward planning though

They are saying that they hope to have a permit system in place by xmas
One of my concerns is that they will try and split the park into separate hunting blocks, as has been done elsewhere. The laughable situation at Tataraakina is one that should not be repeated imo.
Double bookings, access issues, no decent maps available to show boundaries which leaves hunters in a potentially dangerous position.
Hopefully Tuhoe learn from the mistakes of others.

It will be very interesting watching how this pans out. Part of the agreement was that hunters would not be charged for permits but nothing to stop an "admin" fee.
Will doc still be maintaining huts and tracks??? And who owns the roads and will be maintaining them??
I'm all for user pays but will someone be charging for use of things that is government paid for??
And will there be recognised wardens or is it just the locals doing what they like with stand over tactics.
I have a feeling this is a saga that will continue for some years .

It doesn't matter who paid for roads/huts or any other assets in years gone by. They belong to Tuhoe now and they have to maintain them so an admin fee or any other charge is entirely up to Tuhoe and I have no problem with that. I know of several tourist sites that local iwi have taken over and everyone of them is a far better facility now and none of the charges are unreasonable. We should all be working with Tuhoe on this because their anti 1080 stance could be a shining example to DOC on how to control pests in the rest of the conversation estate and this would be beneficial to all hunters. As stated by someone perviously there are many other private property owners to charge for access so Tuhoe is no different in that regard. I just hope the majority of hunters work with them and cooperate with regard to access. Unfortunately there will probably be some rednecks who will stir this for all its worth to justify their own bigoted views.