River dispute turns ugly

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A long-simmering dispute between anglers and members of a small Maori community living near one of Taupo's best trout fishing spots is becoming violent.

Taupo fishing guide Grant Bayley says he was last week punched in the head and had his $500 fly-fishing rod snapped in two by Maori who own land surrounding the Waitahanui River.

Many anglers have now stopped going to the idyllic river - rated as Taupo's top fishing spot in winter - after experiencing intimidation that they say now threatens the town's economy.

"The whole community relies on fishing - moteliers, retailers, everybody," Mr Bayley said.

"If that river goes because people are too scared to go up there, people will take their money elsewhere."

Department of Conservation spokesman John Gibbs said problems at Waitahanui River have been brewing for more than a year.

Under a 1926 act of Parliament, anglers were entitled to foot access along a 20m strip either side of the river bank. This "right of way" differs from an agreement known as the Queen's Chain used elsewhere in New Zealand in that local Maori retain title to the land.

A road was built in the 1950s so vehicles could reach the upper stretch of the river, but this was outside the 20m strip and anglers initially paid a fee to use it.

Mr Gibbs said that payment stopped years ago but anglers continued to use the road by the "grace and favour" of the landowners.

But in April 2000, a gate was erected and trouble began.

"Naturally enough there was a lot of concern when people lost what they had come to regard as their right of access up Blake Rd, but it never was a right," Mr Gibbs said.

Instead, anglers must now walk along the 20m strip either side of the river or stay within a DoC reserve on the left bank of the lower river.

Fishing guides say this would be fine but claim they are now being threatened to keep off that land, too.

Car windows have been smashed, "keep off" messages scratched into paintwork and anglers have been verbally - and now physically - threatened.

Taupo police are investigating the attack on Mr Bayley and DoC is seeking a meeting with landowners to find out what their concerns are.

"We certainly want to see the issues clarified and resolved so that anglers can continue to lawfully fish there," Mr Gibbs said.

A Waitahanui resident, who wished to remain anonymous, yesterday denied that residents were ordering anglers off the DoC reserve or the 20m right of way.

"DoC has got to define where those boundaries are. Some of the tracks wander away from the river.

"Instead of being 20m you're about 40m away from the river and these are the tracks that these fellas are telling people to get off."

Around 50 Waitahanui residents supported the decision to block access over the private land.

"We've lived here all our lives and let them use our land at no charge [but] now the younger generation are saying 'to hell with this'.

"Are these people going to come around the table and offer us something for using the land?"

DoC said it also plans to contact the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board, which receives about $1 million annually from the Crown in return for fishing and boating access on Lake Taupo and certain rivers, including the Waitahanui.

Trust secretary Rakeipoho Taiaroa said Ngati Tuwharetoa had been cooperative in allowing public access but landowners still had rights.

"We certainly do not condone violence at all but if a person has rights in terms of being an owner of a piece of land we're not going to step in ...

"It's not our place to poke our nose in."