Ngātiwai invited to join MPI’s National Response Training

5 May 2014

Ngātiwai invited to join MPI’s National Response Training

When Resource Management Assistant Dane Karapu attends the National Response Training (NRT) workshop at Auckland Airport this week it will be confirmation of Ngātiwai gaining a new position in the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) National Biosecurity response unit.

“There are individuals from other Iwi that have previously done this training, but this time we have been invited to participate at an Iwi level,” Dane says.

“It reflects the interest and involvement we constantly show in environmental issues like the recent Queensland Fruit Fly scare, the current problems around the Kauri Dieback and other pests like the Sea Squirt, Manchurian Rice and the Mediterreanean Fan Worm infestations.”

Ngātiwai Resource Management Unit manager Clive Stone says the invitation came about through working consistently with Governmental agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DoC, and MPI.

“For us it is about building meaningful quality relationships not just with the agencies, but also with the people who work for them,” Clive says.

“The best part about Dane going down to the NRT workshop is that it signifies that we have gone from previously being stakeholders in national environmental issues to now becoming participants.”

The invitation came about through the Ngātiwai Resource Management Unit questioning MPI officials on they way they handled the response to the recent Queensland fruit fly scares.

“From our point of view Ngātiwai were ideally placed to carry out the trap-setting, monitoring and other functions during those incidents rather than bringing in people from other cities who didn’t carry local knowledge or specific cultural values,” Dane says.

“Their Natonal Biosecurity Capability Network (NBCN) manager Andrew Sanders agreed with us and he recommended Ngātiwai could in future fill all the required positions which is how this invitation came about for Ngātiwai to join them.”

Dane, who will be training as an Operations Manager, says the hui provides a big opportunity for Ngātiwai to build capacity for biosecurity response in the Taitokerau region.

“It is the starting point in what we hope will be a major opportunity for Ngātiwai to become involved in the multi-billion dollar primary industries sector. I’m really looking forward to this experience, and future possibilities,” says Dane.

ENDS

© Scoop Media