Watch: Te Mata Peak track protests continue

Protesters gathered outside Craggy Range for a second consecutive week against the winery's recent proposal to retain its controversial track.

More than 70 people attended Saturday morning's demonstration, and about 50 people on Sunday, to show their discontent at Craggy Range's recent announcement it might not be able to remove the Te Mata Peak track, as promised.

This stemmed from an expert landscape report it had commissioned which found rehabilitation could not fully return the landscape to its pre-construction condition and remediation could make it worse.

One of the organisers, Rose Mohi, said she was disappointed there had been no resolution following last Saturday's initial, smaller, protest so another had been organised.

The call went out to marae of Ngāti Kahungunu this week to join the weekend's demonstrations and representatives from many marae had come along, she said.

This would continue every weekend until a resolution could be found.

"I can't see we're making progress at all, the track is still there.

"We will keep coming back until something is done."

Mason Chambers, who was chairman of Te Mata Park Trust Board for about 40 years, said he came to the protest because he was against the track, which would not have been allowed during his time as chairman.

"It's a bloody shame, they've made a mess of the hillside.

"I have huge respect for Te Mata Peak and I'd like [Craggy Range] to obliterate the track."

His daughter, Fiona Hosford, said keeping the trail would set a dangerous precedent in terms of ignoring cultural significance of land.

The land on the other side of Te Mata Peak had been donated by her great, great uncle on the condition that the surroundings were protected to stop something like this from happening, she said.

"I would like Craggy Range to keep their promise and stop playing games.

"This is important to me as a descendant of the Chambers family.

"If we let this go what else can happen?"

One of the protesters, Api Robin, said the entire issue stemmed from Hastings District Council allowing the project to go ahead without iwi consultation.

"It's not entirely Craggy Range's fault but I would like Craggy Range to keep their promise so we can move on.

"I think this is too big of an issue to let it be swept under the carpet.

"There's a lot of cultural significance in this particular area."

Cody Mohi-Groves and Mark Mansfield attended, with Tino Rangatiratanga flags, to support their whanau.

Mohi-Groves said the protest was a good way to educate people about the issue and he would keep coming back with more people to demonstrate.

Mansfield said the protest helped keep everyone at the same level and take a stand against higher authorities making decisions without consultation.

Anahita Hun, from Westshore, said she attended Saturday morning's protest to find out more about the track and how it affected the community.

Napier Councillor, Maxine Boag was among those showing support at the Sunday protest.

"I think it is horrible scarring first of all of a significant landmark and secondly it is desecration of sacred maunga."

Another protester, Gren Christie, said the issue was allowing the track to be built without iwi consultation.

"It's taken 150 years for the Treaty of Waitangi to have any mana and part of that mana is consultation and it's just been stood on and rubbed into the dirt," he said.

An open hui would be held on Saturday at 10am at the Waimarama Marae.

A Craggy Range spokesperson said the winery would not be making any comment on the protest.

A Hastings District Council spokesperson said council also declined to comment.

Hastings District Council released a statement late on Friday afternoon, saying it was working with stakeholders to review options Craggy Range had put forward for a solution, as well as other ideas presented by the community.