Te Rereatukahia and Climate Adaptation law
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Mapping out legal rights, responsibilities and obligations concerning climate adaptation at Te Rereatukahia, Ben Tombs, 2024
Te Rereatukahia Marae, home to Ngāi Tamawhariua hapū (Ngāi Te Rangi) in Katikati, Bay of Plenty, sits on low-lying papakāinga already exposed to coastal inundation, flooding, liquefaction and worsening storm events driven by sea-level rise. As the low-tide mark rises, even the urupā on its tidal island is at risk, threatening the hapū's connection to their tūpuna.
A 2024 report prepared for Project Kāinga by Benjamin Tombs (Takarangi Research) maps the legal rights, responsibilities and obligations bearing on the marae's climate adaptation and possible relocation. It traces how central government, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the marae itself sit within the Resource Management Act, Building Act, Local Government Act, Te Ture Whenua Māori Act and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It sets out options for acquiring new land — from market purchase through to Public Works Act processes — alongside funding pathways and 33 concrete action points, from strengthening MOUs with local councils to keeping a clear record of risk, damage and insurance.
The report is both a working guide for Te Rereatukahia's adaptation journey and a template other coastal marae facing the same climate risk can draw on.
