Roger MacCulloch, Mayor Allan Sanson and Gavin Ion with representatives of the Raglan Airfield land's mana whenua to mark the return of the land to its rightful owners.
Roger MacCulloch, Mayor Allan Sanson and Gavin Ion with representatives of the Raglan Airfield land's mana whenua to mark the return of the land to its rightful owners.
Waikato District Council is trying to right a wrong in the district's history as the council unanimously agreed last week to return the land currently used as the Raglan Airfield to Māori ownership.
Raglan Airfield used to be an amalgamation of three separate land parcels Part Papahua No. 2, PartPapahua No. 1 and Te Kopua totalling 36ha. Parts of the land were returned to Māori ownership in 1987.
The remaining 10.3ha is owned by the council and operated as an unmanned airfield.
In 1936, an Air Force officer selected the area as suitable for an emergency airfield. He reportedly had conversations with elders from a local Māori group since the airfield block was made up of land from the Te Kōpua and Papahua blocks which were Māori freehold.
After World War II, the area was no longer required for defence purposes. Rather than returning it to its former owners, the Civil Aviation Authority requested Raglan County Council take over administration of the airfield.
In 1969, the land was declared Crown Land and vested in the county council. The vesting in the reserve may, with the consent of the administering body (council) be cancelled by the minister.
From 1971, the question of the land going back to the original Māori owners was pursued by Raglan local Tuaiwa (Eva) Rickard and the Matakite-O-Aotearoa Movement (land march).
In June 1987, Lot 1, the parcel previously used as a golf course and now known as Te Kōpua No. 4 Block was returned to Māori ownership.
The area now known as the Raglan Airfield (Lot 2). Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
The area now known as the Raglan Airfield (Lot 2) was retained by Waikato District Council, the successor of Raglan County Council.
To return the final bit of the land (Lot 2. SA11D/1059), councillors approved staff engagement with the Office for Crown Relations (Te Arawhiti) and other agencies.
The council, Mana Whenua (Ngati Maahanga, Newton Whaanau Trust & Papahua 1 and descendants of Te Kopua Block / Tainui O Tainui) had discussions on the future of the airfield.
As a result, the council has now given the approval to engage with Te Arawhiti and other relevant agencies to facilitate the return of the land.
The procedure involves the council requesting the minister to cancel the vesting of the reserve.
Councillors said they felt like it was the right thing to do. Mayor Allan Sanson said it was a historic day for the council to right a wrong from the past
"It's given us a chance to tidy up another piece of our history and it confirms a shift in direction for us in this area," he said.
"It should also be noted that the process to be followed to return the land is likely to be complicated, involve multiple agencies and parties, and will not always be in the council's direct control," the council says.
The Raglan Airfield is not the only land that is set to be returned to iwi. In July, the council started work to return the historically significant site Te Paina (Mercer Domain Recreation Reserve) to Waikato-Tainui and its hapū.
The Department of Conservation which manages the process for the proposed transfer of Te Paina is currently working through community feedback.
