Three women accused of flouting Covid-19 restrictions by travelling to Auckland the same weekend as an anti-lockdown protest in October are heading to trial.
Marcia Kararaina Ngarimu, from Taihape; Tina Aroha Steedman, from Ohakune; and Te Kuia Kimihia G Peretini, from Taihape haveeach pleaded not guilty to a charge of breaching an order issued under the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act.
The trio, all aged in their 50s, appeared for an administrative hearing in the Taihape District Court on Monday.
The women are accused of crossing into Auckland's alert level 3 boundary on October 16, the same day as a large rally was held at the city's domain.
Lawyer Joanna Jordan, appearing on instructions for Tina Steedman's Auckland-based lawyer Sharyn Green, said so far police had not identified which Covid-19 order the defendant had allegedly breached in legal documents handed to the defence.
There were 13 orders, Jordan said.
Green had told her five witnesses would be called in Steedman's defence.