Gate-welder says he feared a tragedy

Entrance to the Mt Maungatautari walkway from Tari Rd, Pukeatua. Photo / Christine Cornege

A landowner who welded shut access gates to a Waikato ecological reserve says he took the extraordinary move because he feared a tragedy of Cave Creek proportions on his property.

Rick Muru said he welded gates to the Maungatautari reserve's southern enclosure three weeks ago because of fears he could be held liable for injuries or even death on his land.

But the Ngati Koroki Kahukura iwi broke the welds last week and claimed to have set up sentries guarding the entrance. The iwi have filed an injunction against Mr Muru with the Maori Land Court to preserve public access.

The incident is the latest in a messy series involving iwi, landowners, the Waipa District Council and Environment Waikato that is threatening to derail years of work at the reserve, about 15km south of Cambridge.

Some landowners are threatening to "shift" the 47km-long predator-proof fence surrounding the reserve from their properties while others, including economist Gareth Morgan, say they will cut funding for the project if its governance structure they say favours Maori is not changed.

Mr Muru says his gripe is not related to the ongoing governance stoush and he wants to distance himself from the dispute.

He was concerned that up to 30,000 people cross his 30ha property each year to access the reserve and he could be held liable if someone was injured.

"My family were quite mindful of the Cave Creek tragedy."