Irked hotelier urges land activists to act legally

A visitor stands firm during a challenge by a Ngati Kahu warrior at a powhiri at the Taipa Sailing Club. Photo / Northern Advocate

One of the Taipa occupiers' harshest critics and closest neighbours isn't adverse to land going back Ngati Kahu - but she wants protesters to do it the legal way.

Dale Synott, who manages the Taipa Bay Resort, said she hates the look of tino rangatiratanga flags and protest signs that have gone up in the past week on land owned by Aucklander Kevyn Male next to the Far North District Council reserve at Taipa Sailing Club.

Ms Synott said the occupation had already cost her $27,000 in lost bookings and those losses couldn't be sustained.

"I would like to see them being moved off the land and then let everybody go back to the drawing board and find out what they want and how they want it and see if it's possible to give it to them.

"Go through the correct channels. What would happen if I did that and put up a big bloody lean-to? I would be moved off if I did that."

Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson last week didn't rule out the Far North District Council-owned land at Taipa Pt returning to Ngati Kahu. But he said he wouldn't be negotiating with or meeting the illegal occupiers.

The Ngati Kahu runanga had signed an agreement in principle for its shared interests in the Far North at the beginning of the year.

Leader Professor Margaret Mutu said the negotiators had always wanted Taipa Pt land included in a settlement but hadn't been able to get traction on the issue. A spokesman for Mr Finlayson said it had never been raised as a negotiating point.

Professor Mutu said: "If the Crown can give a $1.6 billion bailout to South Canterbury Finance, they can buy this land back."

Asked if she thought there was still time to include it in Ngati Kahu's settlement, which hasn't reached legislative stages yet, she said the hapu members would have to direct negotiators to do that work.

Senior Sergeant Geoff Ryan of Kaitaia said no complaints had been made to police about an incident on Thursday morning when a protester boarded a Dune Rider bus that had stopped for a morning-tea break at the resort.

Mr Ryan described it as a largely "polite" episode, but said whether the tourists understood what was going on was questionable as he understood most didn't speak English.