Protestors armed with clattering saucepans disrupt port discussions

Protesters Te Huatahi Hawira and Phil Reweti talk to a security guard. Wanganui Chronicle photograph by Laurel Stowell.

A wide spectrum of issues inspired four people to protest at a Whanganui and Partners meeting attended by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy on Tuesday.

The four stood outside Whanganui's Cooks Gardens function centre with placards and banged saucepans to make a noise. They were not allowed to take their protest inside.

Te Huatahi Hawira said the planned surf clan factory at Whanganui's port would be on a wahi tapu (sacred place) and she didn't want it there. Tanea Tangaroa objected to "a whole list of things" in the Manawatu/Whanganui regional growth plan.

Donna Steer thought any port development would be used in the proposed iron-sand mining and not for ferry development. It would not be good for the environment, she said.

Veteran protester Philip Reweti was against seabed mining.

"They want to wreck our kai moana," he said.