The occupation site near the shores of Lake Whakamaru in Waikato. Photo / Libby Kirkby-McLeod, RNZ
By Libby Kirkby-McLeod of RNZ
A proposed 66-house subdivision near the shores of Lake Whakamaru in Waikato has sparked a land occupation by a local hapū.
But the issues Ngāti Te Kohera were fighting for go much deeper than the one development; and they might not be easy to solve.
When Jonathan Quigley set about asking for his land to be rezoned from rural to rural-lifestyle, he thought he did everything right.
“We consulted extensively with iwi and they helped, through conversations with them, they helped essentially inform the end result,” he said.
He said the feedback from iwi leaders he engaged with was that the consultation had been well done.
“So, you can imagine our surprise when we then had an occupation start on the end of the first day of the [plan change] hearing,” he said.
Ngāti Te Kohera hapū representative Craig Ahipene said they had problems with the proposed development culturally, environmentally and legally and thought it would just be an eyesore.
However, many of the group’s concerns go back to the history of how the land fell into private hands, and to the way the Crown developed the hydro lake in the first place.
“The river was flooded to form the new hydro lake that is there today. Unfortunately, the Crown at the time didn’t allow us, and other hapū, to remove our dead,” Ahipene said.
This meant any development near the lake which might result in pollution of the river was deeply concerning to the hapū.
“Human waste that goes into that river is a grievous cultural harm to the mana and tapu and mauri of our dead ancestors, and ourselves as well because we are the protectors of that.”
Quigley said the proposal took that concern on board and had been developed so no sewage could get in the river, along with mitigating other environmental concerns.
Local Hope Woodward was against the development and said it might be well planned but the lakeside was not the place for 66 houses.
“It’s going to be an environmental experiment basically and this space just doesn’t need it,” she said.
She wanted the area to be protected as undeveloped land.
“We don’t have a lot of spaces like this left around our country and this is only going to set a precedent for further developments.”
The occupation was not on Quigley’s land but on the public land reserve right in front of it.
He said he’d been told the area was now under a rāhui and restrictions apply to when and how he and his family could use the reserve.
A South Waikato District Council spokesperson said it was aware of public access being restricted to the site and had seen reports of an apparent rāhui being put in place for part of Lake Whakamaru Reserve.
“However, this has not been officially communicated to us in any form. Raukawa, as the iwi who carry mana and responsibility for the hapū currently occupying the area, are the appropriate body to work with the group on this matter,” the spokesperson said.
The council said it respected the group’s right to peaceful protest, with maintaining public access to the site and the safe management of any fire present being its key concerns.
Both Quigley and those occupying the land said interactions at the lake are generally respectful, though online things have got personal.
“I’ve received death threats via Facebook, so that’s not fun,” he said.
Quigley felt lies had been spread about him and the development online, and it was an enormously stressful situation for his whole family.
“My wife is pretty strung out knowing what I’m going through, my kids are old enough to see that it’s having an effect, and it’s all for stuff that’s not actually accurate.”
Jacinta Rata had been occupying the land since day one and said the occupation was affecting those taking part.
“We’ve all had to sacrifice a lot to be here on the ground,” she said.
She said it wasn’t a situation anyone wanted, even those taking part in the occupation.
“But you know, I think if we didn’t do it, it would be harder to live with... if we didn’t do anything,” she said.
Ahipene said that regardless of the outcome of the proposed development, the hapū expected the occupation to continue until they could preserve the land.
And that’s bigger than Quigley.
“The crown basically has created this problem through its processes in history and so the crown needs to be part of the solution as well,” said Ahipene.
Not that he had much faith in the current government. His faith was with where he felt the mood of the public was.
“The majority are against this [government’s] attack on the environment, we’re against this attack on Māori rights,” he said.
The proposed plan change was now with the South Waikato District Council planning commissioners, and a decision was expected in the next few months.
-RNZ