Occupiers evicted from shut school

Police have evicted the occupiers of the former Orauta School near Moerewa in central Northland.

Two police officers who went to the school with a warrant last weekend reclaimed the site on behalf of the Ministry of Education, which had closed the school early this year.

Maori occupiers of the 1.6ha site had defied the closure order.

There was no disorder or violence during Saturday's eviction, although two men were arrested for obstruction.

The ministry now intends to dispose of the property by offering it back to descendants of the original Maori owners of the land from whom it was taken by the Crown for a native school.

Orauta was closed after a ministerial review of central Northland schools. A number were closed or merged with others but some parents and whanau of the 29 pupils at Orauta continued to run the site as an unregistered Maori school under the umbrella of a Maori incorporation.

Trespass notices were issued to ministry staff who tried to go to the school.

Orauta School trustees spokesman Ken Brown and supporters unsuccessfully challenged Crown ownership of the school site and associated district court orders for them to leave the school. The buildings are now boarded up.

On Saturday, Mr Brown and another man were arrested on a charge of obstruction after children and other adults had left the school grounds. The pair are due to appear in Kaikohe District Court on Friday.