Whangārei hapū fighting to protect culturally sacred site get backing from Green Party

Green Party Northland MP Hūhana Lyndon and co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick visit Onoke Heights in Te Kamo, supporting Ngāti Kahu o Torongare in its fight against development on wāhi tapu or a culturally sacred site. Photo / Denise Piper

Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has told a Whangārei hapū the party will stand in solidarity with them as they fight to protect a wāhi tapu site from development, even if that means stepping outside the resource consent process.

Swarbrick took time out of her busy schedule to visit Te Tai Tokerau this week, led by Northland-based MP Hūhana Lyndon.

As part of the trip, they visited Onoke Heights in Te Kamo, where local hapū Ngāti Kahu o Torongare is currently going through the Environment Court to oppose a 93-house development on the 6.8ha site.

This is the second time the hapū has gone through the court to protect the site from development because of its wāhi tapu status, with the land and its trees being used after battle to tend to the wounded and process the dead.

In 1996, the court ruled against a plan change for a less intensive development because of the traditional and cultural significance of the site, said hapū spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield.

But Whangārei District Council later rezoned the land to residential and, in February, it and Northland Regional Council approved consent to Onoke Heights Limited for the 93-house development and associated earthworks.

Ngāti Kahu o Torongare has appealed the decision, with a hearing held over one week in September and set to continue in November.

Wakefield told the MPs it was resource intensive for the small hapū to fight both this development and upcoming projects in the area. In the last year, it had been approached about 500 different resource consent applications.

“We’re literally drowning in this thing because we have a city built around us.”

Swarbrick acknowledged the difficulties hapū like Ngāti Kahu are facing for long-term protection of their land and sacred sites, because of the ongoing impacts of colonisation and development.

All New Zealanders needed to have a better knowledge of Aotearoa’s history, so they can better appreciate why development on such wāhi tapu sites is inappropriate, she said.

“If people understood the history and the weight of all of that, they might be a bit spooked by it – it’s a horror film.”

Ngāti Kahu o Torongare spokeswoman Nicki Wakefield and Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick are worried about the development at Onoke Heights, right, while the hapū is also advising on a water reservoir upgrade, top centre. Photo / Denise Piper

The history and stories of mana whenua, as well as the environment, are also important when looking at a number of the projects set to get fast-track approval, she said.

Swarbrick said the Greens would consider resourcing iwi and hapū to better participate in the resource management process.

But she also advised Ngāti Kahu the resource consent process is not the only way to protest against development on wāhi tapu.

She pointed to Auckland site Ihumātao, where protesters occupied the land to prevent a Fletcher Building housing development near the sacred Ōtuataua Stonefields Reserve.

The site was eventually bought by the Government for $30 million, showing there are solutions outside the box, Swarbrick said.

Before the resolution, protesters put social pressure on developer Fletcher Building, she said.

Wakefield said Ngāti Kahu could consider this with Onoke Heights Limited, whose parent company Builtsmart Properties is a well-known developer and builder in the upper North Island.

Meanwhile, Ngāti Kahu is working with Whangārei District Council on work to replace the water reservoir at Onoke, on an area between the proposed Onoke Heights development and the Department of Conservation’s Onoke Scenic Reserve.

Wakefield said while the hapū does not want work done on the wāhi tapu site, it did not want to restrict drinking water access for the area.

It wants the council to keep any excavations on the mountain and will have cultural assessors on site while work is going on.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.