An aerial view of Matua, where the flyers were dropped. Photo / George Novak
An aerial view of Matua, where the flyers were dropped. Photo / George Novak
Flyers with white supremacist rhetoric have been distributed to Matua households - and slammed as the ''ugly underbelly'' of society.
The flyers, titled "it's alright to be white", claim white people "have no need to say sorry because you are nature's finest" and direct people to a website with racialepithets.
One expert described the flyers as "sad, misinformed and misguided" and urged the community to ignore their messaging.
The flyer's distributor, who the Bay of Plenty Times has chosen not to name, claims to be a US-based church.
Its website says the objective is "the survival, expansion and advancement of the white race". Pop-ups on the website read "non-white immigration means white genocide" and "proud to be white? Contact like-minded people".
"How pathetic to feel like victims for being white given our history of colonisation and racism."
She has complained to police. "I understand it's not a crime to post this hideous stuff, more in the hope that it might be something they're already on top of."
At the time, a resident who received one of the flyers said she "never thought of it as a place where white supremacist types would live".
"And, if they did live here, that they would think it is okay to spread such vile and racist stuff."
University of Auckland Māori Studies professor Margaret Mutu described flyers were "a rather sad, misinformed and misguided attempt to breathe life back into the Doctrine of Discovery that underpinned the misconception that white Christians are superior to all other human beings".
"White supremacy is the ugly underbelly of New Zealand society, something that I understand most New Zealanders are ashamed of and wish to free ourselves from.
"There are a small number of well-resourced and well-organised white supremacist individuals and groups who are well-known to security experts and government security services. They are being monitored but not as closely as they should be."
University of Auckland Professor of Māori Studies Margaret Mutu. Photo / supplied
Mutu advised people who received one of the flyers to tell the authorities and "ignore them [the church] and focus instead on the need for everyone in the country to be respected and included".
She urged people in power to take action against these groups.
She said it was important for communities to "provide information about white supremacy/racism and the damage it does – the Human Rights Commission is the first port of call on this – and foster good, respectful relationships between communities".
"Be aware of where this behaviour originates ... and understand why it is ... unacceptable and internationally condemned."
Matua Residents Association chairman Richard Kluit was aware of the flyers and said they had attracted negative comments on social media.
"All of the comments have been very anti-receiving that, or anti-that stand."
He said he valued the mix of ethnicities in Matua and recalled spending Christmas in Fergusson Park with many ethnicities "celebrating together".
Matua Residents Association chairman Richard Kluit. Photo / Andrew Warner
"It's great that Matua is very much a multicultural community ... it's great to see that multicultural aspect."
A police spokesperson confirmed the police were "aware of this material circulating".
"While we understand it may be considered objectionable it doesn't appear to meet the threshold for a criminal offence.
"We would encourage anyone receiving this material to contact 105."
The group that distributed the flyers has been approached for comment.
