Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on the Natural and Built Environment Bill.
In my view the strongest part of the Bill is the central place it gives to te Oranga o te Taiao as a concept. This is defined in the legislation as:
(a) the health of the natural environment;
(b) the essential relationship between the health of the natural environment and its capacity to sustain life;
(c) the interconnectedness of all parts of the environment;
(d) the intrinsic relationship between iwi and hapū and te Taiao.
(a) to (c) inclusive warrant support, however the wording in (d) needs reconsideration. As drafted it implies that the only New Zealanders with intrinsic relationships with the natural environment are Māori who are affiliated to specific iwi and hapu tribal structures. This excludes the 84% of New Zealanders who are not Māori, and those Māori for whom iwi or…
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Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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