Lake protest could become annual event

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A group of Maori who are occupying a scenic reserve along the shores of Lake Taupo are planning to make their peaceful protest an annual event.

Around 100 members of Ngati Tutemohuta have been camping out on the Awaroa Reserve, 13km southeast of Taupo, since Tuesday morning.

The group is not denying the public access to the area but three of the four entrances off State Highway 1 have been blocked because they want people to stop and listen to their concerns about the reserve's ownership and use before proceeding towards the lake's edge.

The Department of Conservation administers the land but DoC Turangi-Taupo area manager Dave Lumley said he was "fairly relaxed" about the situation.

"As long as they're not stopping people from going on to the reserve or accessing the lake we're happy for them to remain there for a short while."

Police have also visited the site but will not take any action unless DoC asks them to do so.

The occupation has been described by its organisers as a wananga, or series of discussions, aimed at educating people about the reserve's history and how Ngati Tutemohuta came to lose ownership of it.

Spokeswoman Ngatoru Wall said that the area was subject to a Treaty of Waitangi claim and any additional information gathered during the wananga may be used to advance that case.

"The past few days have been really excellent and we've achieved our goal of raising awareness," Miss Wall said.

"The good thing about it is that it has been peaceful. There's no point in getting angry and trying to intimidate anyone.

"We've just been welcoming everyone who stops by and asking them to listen for a moment to our concerns."

Up to 80 people had passed through the reserve since the wananga began and Miss Wall said the group had decided to make the occupation a regular summer event.

In addition to the ownership dispute, which is outlined on several information boards, protester Ngawaka Wall said the group wanted to draw attention to several other issues.

The growing number of people illegally camping and launching boats from the reserve, the hapu's cultural right to fish for whitebait and problems with a local sewage-treatment plant were also being debated.

"It's all different issues about who we are, where we're going and how we're going to get there," Mr Wall said.

"We should have settled these issues years ago ... we would encourage people to come and see us, especially if they feel hurt or inconvenienced by what we're doing."

The occupation was set to run for three days but may be extended if support for it remains strong.

Said Mr Wall: "We're just here to give people information."