Urupa dumping must end, say family

Rubbish dumped randomly at an historical urupa at Te Ore Ore in Masterton has forced guardians of the site to plead for the desecration to stop.
Hinehau Rimene, 67, Nga Puhi, said she, her husband Paul and members of their family had been regularly caring for the Ahi Panepane urupa, which comprised the grave sites of more than 100 people and had headstones dating backing to 1882.
She said her daughter Aroha and grandchild Te Reo Kaha were buried in a plot next to the grave of her brother-in-law and Masterton Maori leader Kuki Rimene. Her family are weary of clearing household waste and other rubbish from a grassed area fronting the gates of the urupa.
A pile of rotting tyres, wooden posts, batons and fencing wire sits mouldering in a far corner of the grassed area. Family members would soon need to remove this as well, she said.
"We come here and mow the lawns and tidy the graves and it's really disappointing when we find that people have thrown their rubbish here.
"We're trying to get our younger ones to help as well."
Mrs Rimene said a mound of earth, left over from when the driveway was limed, will also be respread in a corner of the urupa proper and more space created for car parks.
"We have to ask people 'please don't dump your rubbish here'. This is a sacred place for many of us and all we want is a little respect."