Kua whakakahore te Minita Whakawhanake Rohe a Shane Jones te tono kia whakawhānui ake te Wāpū o Ōpotiki na te nui o te utu me te whakatau e kore hoki e tāea tēnei kaupapa te eke. Ko te wawata nā tēnei kaupapa pāmu kūtai, he kotahi rau wha tekau miriona tāra te wāriu, ka whai mahi te hunga noho ki tēnei rohe.
I patua te Minita e te whakamā i tana korenga e whakaae ki te kaupapa, ēngari he nui te mōrearea, te utu ano hoki.
"Aroha atu au ki Te Whakatōhea, ko te hiahia o Whakatōhea ma roto I te whakatū I te wāpū ka whakahikohikoai te wairua o te taone."
Ko tā Robert Edwards, Heamana o te Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board "we would have liked it to go through because we have our dreams and aspirations all around this harbour."
Ko te whakapae a Te Kaunihera a Rohe o Ōpotiki he rima tekau ma rua miriona tāra te utu mo te wāpu. I piki te utu kia tū he whakahaumarumaru rū whenua, kia ngāwari ai hoki mā ngā kaiutu tāke, engari he nui ake te utu i ngā rauemi a te hapori.
Ko tā Jones "ina oti te whakaiti te utu o tena wāpu tēra pea ka tirohia ano engari e kore mātou e tautokona tēra kaupapa kit e kahore to mātou poari."
Ko tā Edwards "we are still focussed on getting the harbour open...the government wouldn't go with the $145-million but they are still prepared to negotiate and look for another model that will suit and get the harbour open for us."
Ko te wawata ma tēnei kaupapa ka whakawhānui ngā hua pakihi kūtai kia taea nga kaipuke nui te tau ki te wāpu mo te roanga o te tau.
Ko nga tohutohu ki te Minita na te ruarua o ngā pāmu kūtai ki reira tē taea te whiwhi moni, a, na tēnei ka kore pea he pūtea mo nga tau tekau ki tua.
Ko tā Edwards “we've lost all our land and we endeavour to get it back one acre at a time over time but in the meantime we're looking to the sea as something that could be a saviour for us I suppose at the present moment, but it will help us fulfil our dream of getting back our land over time."
Ko tā Edwards ka mahi tahi te iwi ki nga kaunihera me te Kāwanatanga kia eke tēnei kaupapa.