The large trees at Onoke Heights are believed to be at least 200 years old and are remnant of a time when the trees were used in the processing of the dead, according to hapū spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield.
The large trees at Onoke Heights are believed to be at least 200 years old and are remnant of a time when the trees were used in the processing of the dead, according to hapū spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield.
Culturally sacred trees believed to be hundreds of years old are at risk of being cut down due to a lack of protection, fears a Whangārei hapū.
The land, in Dip Rd in Te Kamo, is owned by developer Onoke Heights Ltd, whose plans for a 93-home subdivision have been debated in and out of court.
The land and trees are considered wāhi tapu or sacred by Ngāti Kahu o Torongare and Te Parawhau because they were used to treat battle casualties and process the dead, making the site unsuitable for living.
Onoke Heights Ltd is now appealing the Environment Court decision to the High Court.
Ngāti Kahu o Torongare spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield said a date had not yet been set for a High Court hearing.
Meanwhile, there was nothing to stop the owners from cutting down the specimen trees on the site, including six pūriri trees and a tōtara that are considered sacred, she said.
“The large pūriri and tōtara on the site are remnant of a time when the trees were used in the processing of the dead ... they’re imbued with the tapu of the land.”
The hapū could not get the developer to agree that the trees would not be cut down while the High Court appeal was under way, Wakefield said.
The Environment Court panel, led by Judge Jeff Smith, said removal of the trees was a particular concern, but the court had no direct jurisdiction over the trees.
While the exact age of the trees could not be proved, the panel concluded some of the trees would be at least 200 years old and possibly even twice that, and were present on the site in the 1800s when they were already imbued in tapu.
Ngāti Kahu o Torongare spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield says the Onoke Heights land and the trees are sacred and should be protected. Photo / Denise Piper
Wakefield said many Whangārei residents would be surprised that ancient trees were not protected in the district plan unless they were specifically listed, and the developer had an automatic right to cut them down.
“This is a chance to let the wider community know that the threat to the trees is quite real right now and we should keep an eye out and let the decision-makers know that we care about these trees and all the ancient trees around Whangārei.”
The hapū planned to apply for an interim injunction to stop the trees being cut down and would ask the High Court to consider the trees as part of the developers' appeal, she said.
The hapū is still looking for long-term solutions for the site, valued at $3.4 million.
“This is quite shocking for us to see that it is worth so much – it’s an empty paddock that’s not developable ... We’re still flummoxed how to protect it long term.”
This is the second time the hapū has fought a subdivision on Onoke Heights in the Environment Court, with the court ruling against a plan change by CDL Land New Zealand for a less-intense subdivision in 1996.
Onoke Heights Ltd has been approached for comment.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
