'Offensive' ad depicting Te Mata Peak as a rack of lamb pulled by company

An advertisement for Ovation lamb in the new arrivals hall at Hawke's Bay Airport before it was pulled. Photo / Duncan Brown

An "offensive" advertisement depicting Hawke's Bay's Te Mata Peak as a rack of lamb has been pulled after complaints from local Māori.

Ovation Meats, which is based in Hastings and exports to the UK, pulled the "lambscape" ad from its prime position at Napier Airport's new baggage carousel on Wednesday.

It's not the first time a lack of understanding of the cultural significance of Te Mata Peak has created a firestorm.

Controversy continues to simmer from Hastings District Council's decision to give Craggy Range resource consent to build a walking track that some felt "butchered" the eastern face of the mountain in 2018.

Ngāti Kahungunu elder Rose Mohi said she could not believe she was still having to explain how important the mountain was to the iwi.

"We've spent a year working with the council over the Craggy Track, we've been trying to sort things out in a reasonable way, and we've actually been making a lot of progress in educating people I think.

"And then this happens and it just rips the wound open again."

Ovation has apologised and removed the ad, saying it never intended to offend, 1 News reported.

The ad might have been pulled by Ovation now but damage had already been done, as it had been printed en masse in some publications, Mohi said.

Ngāti Kahungunu spokesman JB Heperi-Smith told 1 News the ad makes him feel like "we've just taken a hundred steps back again."

Ovation said it would take some time to eliminate the ad from promotional material that had already been distributed.