Department of Conservation kicks iwi off Queenstown river site

Jeremiah Greenbank warms himself next to a logburner in a shack he built from pallets on a DoC site near the banks of the Shotover River. Photo / Mountain Scene

A tiny community overstaying on Tucker Beach wildlife reserve, near Queenstown, has left the site after being served trespass notices by landowner Department of Conservation (DoC).

DoC Whakatipu acting operations manager Rebecca Teele confirmed trespass notices were served on the settlement of seven, who identify as members of the Ngāi Tahu iwi.

The community had been camping on the nohoanga site on the banks of the Shotover River, past their entitlement to stay on the land, which ran from September 1 to May 16, saying they were squeezed out of Queenstown by the rental housing crisis.

It is understood the trespass notices gave the community until 4pm Tuesday to leave the site.

An eye-witness said the settlement, including a full-sized bus, cars and tents, was packed up and moved out on Tuesday morning.

Under the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, nohoanga sites are specific areas of Crown-owned land beside lake shores or riverbanks and are usually one hectare in size.

Ngāi Tahu Whānui — tribal members — have temporary but exclusive rights to camp on nohoanga sites for certain months of the year to experience the landscape as their forebears did by gathering food and other natural resources.

Outside that timeframe, jurisdiction of the site reverts to landowner DoC under the Reserves Act.

The family who live in the bus had previously said if evicted they would “go park [the bus] up the side of the road — there’s nowhere else for us to go”.

A shack, made from wooden pallets and complete with a logburner, built by another member of the community has been vacated but remains on the site.

Its builder said he wanted to leave the shack as part of the nohoanga for others to use.

DoC would not be drawn on what it would do with the building.