In a bid to encourage feedback from coastal Māori communities about the recently released Climate Change report, the Climate Change Commission is launching a campaign called 100 Coastie Voices. The online campaign aims to encourage people to raise their voices - not the sea level.
"It's really important. Just think about yourself, your children, your mokopuna, what do you want to still be there in 50 years?" That is the question posed by Lisa Tumahai of the Climate Change Commission, following the launch of 100coastiesvoices.net .
"Our team at the commission came up with this wonderful idea of 100coastiesvoices.net, so that is an attempt to get 100 coasties on the east coast logging into a survey that has been created for them to respond to certain questions that are specific to the Māori sections of the commission's report."
Reaching the vulnerable
The online and radio campaign aims to encourage 100 "coasties" to provide feedback on the commission’s recently released draft report on addressing climate change.
“Our focus is to reach some of the most vulnerable rohe who will face flooding by the sea and sea-level rise,” the commission deputy chair says.
“We are encouraging marae, hapū, iwi and hāpori to use our rohe surveys as tools to get their people engaged in the campaign,” she says.
Tumahai, who is Ngāi Tahu and a coastie herself, is backing the campaign to ensure the benefits of climate action are shared across society.
“Climate policies must not further compound historic grievances for Māori. It is vital that Māori provide input into our first draft report of advice to the government.”
But some have some reservations about Māori not being able to have a commission where there is a Māori focus on these issues.
Collaboration
"What we are really mindful of is our obligations to iwi and to Māori, and do we get out and create an informative way to reach our whānau wherever they might be, particularly our rural coastal communities, who are going to be significantly impacted by climate change."
According to Tūmahai, collaboration is important to the Climate Change Commission.
"The Important part the organisations like the Māori Women's Welfare League can play in terms of educating and informing our whānau about the effects of climate change but also giving our voice to our whānau but giving our a voice to influence - you know it's a two-way street."
Members of the public can make a submission during the commission's formal consultation, which opened on February 1 and runs through to March 14 via haveyoursay.climatecommission.govt.nz