{"id":127206,"date":"2025-11-10T03:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T03:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/127206\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T03:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T03:00:09","slug":"meridian-solar-farm-at-ruakaka-faces-challenge-over-ancestral-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/127206\/","title":{"rendered":"Meridian solar farm at Ruak\u0101k\u0101 faces challenge over ancestral land"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kepa argued that while Meridian\u2019s environmental initiatives may appear restorative, they do not address the deeper issue: the solar farm near Marsden Point is being built on ancestral land without full recognition of Te Parawhau\u2019s historical and cultural ties.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be beauty in the green space of the mara rongo\u0101<\/a>, yes – but it will be surrounded by black and white streets laid over ancestral land,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is not restoration. It\u2019s replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kepa said the starting point for any meaningful dialogue between the hap\u016b and Meridian should be the 404ha of Te Poupouwhenua confiscated by the Crown in the 19th century \u2014 land she said remains unreturned to its rightful guardians.<\/p>\n

Kepa criticised the cultural effects assessment which concluded the impacts were \u201cminor,\u201d provided recommendations from consultation documents were followed.<\/p>\n

She argued such assessments understate the depth of cultural impact and the lived experience of dispossession. Technical reports or archaeological assessments did not erase Takahiwai M\u0101ori Committee\u2019s <\/a>opposition to the consent application. <\/p>\n

Kepa said the solar farm may contribute to decarbonisation and job creation but also highlighted the ongoing struggle of hap\u016b who remain \u201clandless, houseless, and excluded from decision-making\u201d.<\/p>\n

She pointed to the Waitaki Hydro Power Scheme in the South Island, where Meridian and Genesis Energy reportedly paid $180 million<\/a> to Ng\u0101i Tahu hap\u016b, and other stakeholders as part of a reconsenting process. She questioned why similar recognition had not been extended to Te Parawhau.<\/p>\n

\" Dr Mere Kepa. Photo \/ supplied<\/p>\n

Meridian said for confidentiality reasons, it couldn\u2019t disclose the amount involved in the South Island project, but that financial agreements were common in large infrastructure projects. <\/p>\n

Meridian\u2019s general manager of development, Guy Waipara, said the solar farm was an important project and huge opportunity for more energy sovereignty in Northland. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt will help improve the region\u2019s energy resilience, which has been exposed over recent years, and is already creating jobs and generating revenue for local businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 250 jobs are expected to be created as a result. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll also help strengthen the national energy system and is part of a wave of new generation that will see power prices come down over time,\u201d Waipara said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeridian is going to be in Te Tai Tokerau for a long time and it\u2019s important to us that we\u2019re good neighbours who build lasting and trusted relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waipara said Meridian had engaged with Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board and Te Parawhau ki Tai representatives for some time regarding the solar farm, starting in the project planning and design phase.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also established a governance group with both Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust and Te Parawhau ki Tai so we can work together on resource management issues and areas of mutual interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years\u2019 experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kepa argued that while Meridian\u2019s environmental initiatives may appear restorative, they do not address the deeper issue: the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113611,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[81016,88282,1975,11154,6636,10709,1568,24181,1667,44973,6119,3233,45206,19720,13489,440,68596,1132,2720,111,43,139,69,1523,72851,4166,88283],"class_list":["post-127206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-81016","tag-ancestral","tag-at","tag-begins","tag-challenge","tag-concerns","tag-construction","tag-cultural","tag-energy","tag-environmental","tag-faces","tag-farm","tag-highlighting","tag-land","tag-leader","tag-local","tag-meridian","tag-million","tag-mori","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-over","tag-ruakk","tag-solar","tag-unresolved"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=127206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/127206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113611"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=127206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=127206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}