Two arrests as police evict Maori protesters

Maori occupying a Far North sheep and cattle station at Stony Creek, south of Mangonui, were evicted by police yesterday after a 49-day occupation.

Two men were arrested on trespass charges but, after processing at Mangonui, they were allowed back to the farm to help supervise their hapu's withdrawal.

There was no violence during the eviction when three senior Northland police went to the 2275ha station in the afternoon to end an occupation of shearers' quarters by members of Ngati Aukiwa hapu.

The hapu moved in on December 23 and issued hapu-generated trespass notices to farm staff as an ongoing dispute over the farm's title and ownership with the Office of Treaty Settlements remained unresolved.

The police commander for the Far North rural area, Inspector Mike Rusbatch, went to the property with Senior Sergeant Gordon Gunn from Kaitaia and police iwi liaison officer Senior Constable Paddy Whiu.

Mr Rusbatch said the occupiers were co-operative. "I think they realised they were at the stage where things were coming to a head. It's good they were able to act in a positive way."

Ngati Aukiwa spokesman Tamati Roha, who with kaumatua Wilfred Petersen snr was arrested for trespass, said 25 to 30 adults and children were present when police arrived.

Mr Roha said the arrest of him and Mr Petersen and their pending appearance in Kaitaia's court on February 24 were "a second step in the process to get our whenua [land] back".

"The first step was walking in here [Stony Creek station]. We're looking forward to going to court."

Mr Roha said they had made it clear to the police that they wanted Office of Treaty Settlements representatives and the Associate Minister for Treaty Negotiations, Mark Burton, to meet them at Puhi o Te Waka Marae at Waimahana in the Far North on February 26-27 to discuss issues in dispute.

"If nothing happens and if they don't come and see us, we'll be back here on the farm," he said.

"We want the top man [Mr Burton] here. Someone with the power."

Mr Roha showed the Herald through the shearers' houses that hapu members had been occupying since before Christmas. The houses appeared clean and tidy.

"We told the police we would leave them as we found them."

Mr Roha maintained the dispute is a hapu issue.

He denied that it involved a disagreement with the Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa Trust Board, whose mandate to negotiate Maori land claims in the area, including the future of Stony Creek Station, is recognised by the Office of Treaty Settlements.

The office landbanked the former Landcorp property, which runs 1500 cattle and 5000 sheep, in 1995 and holds it on behalf of the Crown for use in local treaty settlements.

The office started negotiations with the trust board last year.

Mr Rusbatch said it was clear from yesterday's eviction that the hapu still had grievances.

He said the Office of Treaty Settlements had indicated it was prepared to continue dialogue with the hapu to try to resolve the issues.

The office's spokesman on Stony Creek, Dean Cowie, said he was pleased the occupation had ended.

The office now needed to consider what steps it could take next about the mandating dispute.

The end to occupation means the station's manager and staff can start shearing and drenching thousands of sheep, some of whom have been in danger of flystrike in the recent hot weather.

Disputed issues

A hapu (sub-tribe) occupied the Stony Creek sheep and cattle station near Mangonui on December 23 last year and were evicted yesterday.

Leaders claim they are the rightful owners of the land, which is part of Treaty of Waitangi land claim negotiations.

But the Office of Treaty Settlements prefers to deal with the Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa Trust Board.