Protest outside Craggy Range after Te Mata Peak trail backtrack

People demonstrate outside Craggy Range on Saturday. Photo / Ruby Harfield

Protesters staged a demonstration outside Craggy Range on Saturday against a recent proposal to keep the controversial Te Mata Peak track.

The protesters, mainly Waimarama mana whenua, had placards and a megaphone during the demonstration targeted at the winery after last week's announcement that it might not be able to remove the track as previously promised.

Following public outcry after the track was built, Craggy Range chief executive Mike Wilding resolved in December last year to remove the track and restore the land.

However, last week Craggy Range announced an expert landscape report it had commissioned found rehabilitation could not fully return the landscape to its pre-construction condition and that remediation could make it worse.

Protest organiser Rose Mohi said the winery had turned back on its promise.

"My aim is to put pressure on Craggy Range.

"We have been in discussions for five months and they reneged on their promise."

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated would be meeting this week to decide what the next course of action would be, she said.

"What they've done here is put a scar in the beautiful natural escarpment."

Last week Craggy Range announced it may not be able to remove its controversial Te Mata Peak track. Photo / Ruby Harfield

Waimarama kaumātua Robert MacDonald said the protest was directed at Craggy Range because of last week's announcement.

"They promised to take it out and reneged on it.

"We have always hoped that we were going to get a solution, it just seems a long way off.

"This is a direct turnaround on their position in December, I don't think they've acted in good faith."

One of the protesters, who did not want to be named, said Saturday's demonstration was just a taste of things to come.

"This will be big, we've had enough.

"This is a really sacred area, traditionally as a tribe when we brought our dead back to Waimarama we would wash their bodies in the springs on this side of the peak to cool them down for the journey."

Wilding said mana whenua representatives and Hastings District Council were presented with a range of options for the track last week.

"It is now up to them to take the next step to move this forward.

"Protesting will do nothing to influence that process.

"Legally we are following the only path available to us, as we simply cannot leave the community and the landscape in a worse position."

There have been productive discussions between the key stakeholders and, hopefully, a positive solution for everyone will be forthcoming, he said.

Last week's report suggested the best option could be to allow for a section of the eastern slope to be rehabilitated into a natural habitat delivering significantly improved and sustainable outcomes, including enhancing biodiversity and bird habitat, while reducing the visibility of the track.

The landscape report was independently reviewed by Shannon Bray of Wayfinder Landscape Planning and Strategy.