Protesters elect to move out

An election day celebration today marked the end of a seven-week occupation of a reserve next to the Blue Bay subdivision at Opoutama.
A group, mainly made up of local Maori, opposed to the 44-section subdivision, set up their tin-shed and tent camp to protest against the subdivision. They say it will dominate the community and spoil the reserve between the development and the beach.
Spokeswomen Joan Ropiha and Ngaromoana Raureti-Tomoana said they still plan to have a presence on the reserve.
While five diggers work away on the subdivision, through the pine trees the group have a corrugated iron shed and lean-to, a caravan, a handful of tents and a children's playground set up around a fire that has been kept alight for seven weeks.
The developer has offered to beautify the reserve where the camp is now set up, replacing the pine trees with natives and has proposed three pathways through the subdivision to access the reserve.
But Ms Raureti-Tomoana, a local artist and spokeswoman for the group, said this would effectively turn the reserve into the front lawn of the subdivision and local people would feel uncomfortable there.
"They want natives but not the natives," Ms Raureti-Tomoana joked.
The group had their own plans for the reserve. They would not remove the pine trees until native trees had become established and plant pingao that could be used for weaving.
The group also says an ancient urupa extends into the subdivision. An archaeological investigation commissioned by the developer found no evidence of this.
But Mere Whaanga, who wrote an impact assessment on the development, said that investigation was inconclusive.
The cultural audit by matakite (seer) John Hovell found an ancient urupa (burial ground) extended beyond the boundaries of the current Ruawharawhara cemetery and into the subdivision.
The land includes untitled accretion land, which formed over time as sand built up, a Crown-owned forestry reserve and a paper road.
The protesters don't see themselves as activists, said Ms Raureti-Tomoana. Nor do they see themselves as occupiers, instead referring to their camp as a noho - a temporary dwelling.
"We want sustainable development that is within what the infrastructure and community can handle. We're opposed to development that exploits our environment," Ms Raureti-Tomaona said.
Opoutama has 12 houses currently occupied full-time, another 10 are family homes which people return to at the weekends and during holidays.
Ms Raureti-Tomoana said the Wairoa District Council was motivated by money.
"They want to increase their rating base. But they're not loyal to the ratepayers who have been paying rates for years."
Any rates increase will hit Opoutama people, most are on incomes of less than $35,000.
"A lot of retrospective permitting seems to be going on.
They seem to do the work and ask for a permit later."