Reports of aggressive behaviour from a man squatting in Graham Park in Tauranga were confirmed when SunLive reporter Andrew Campbell approached Temoana Rikirangi.
Andrew describes his encounter with Temoana.
Two months and counting, Temoana Rikirangi is still squatting in Graham Park. Photos: Bruce Barnard.
'I innocently asked him why he is continuing to camp in the public park.
It's not like he's being discrete, he's set up his camp - a tent fly and brush walls - right beside the track on the narrow part of the park near the pedestrian overbridge.
It's situated between the council sign post and a park bench. People are more or less obliged to pass by.”
The complaint is with the city council, says Temoana Rikirangi when asked. He then concluded the conversation.
'You don't come here and ask for ...like every other m*therf**ker. Don't talk to me because you are going to get nothing but aggro.”
At which he picked up a stick, stood up and said: 'Now f***k off out of here!”
One woman told SunLive she no longer runs along that track with her daughter because of Temoana Rikirangi's belligerent attitude.
Another person said he was going to complain to police about Temoana using the public park as a toilet.
When Tauranga City Council was asked what is being done about him, customer services manager Margaret Batchelar replied.
'Our monitoring staff have been speaking with Mr Rikirangi over the past few weeks, and have been working closely with his iwi, as well as the New Zealand Police, the homeless shelter, social workers and the District Health Board to try to find him suitable accommodation.
'As landowner, we do have the option to issue a trespass notice, but this is something we would only turn to as a last resort. Trespassing a homeless person from one place, only for them to become a potential issue elsewhere, does little to solve the greater issue.
'Homelessness is a complicated social situation and one that requires a multi-agency approach to understand and address. It's not as simple as moving the person off the land because this just shifts the issue rather than addressing it, so our staff put a lot of work into resolving these situations through negotiation and working with other agencies.”
The city council has been doing a lot of work in this area over the last 18 months, says Margaret.
'We're facilitating meetings with various organisations and agencies to see how we can best address homelessness and emergency housing needs.
'Our focus is on collaborating and opening discussions with other agencies to address the wider issues that lead to homelessness. In the meantime, we will continue to work with Mr Rikirangi and other organisations to find him somewhere suitable to live.”
Temoana Rikirangi has been living in the park for more than two months.
Weekend Sun columnist Andrew von Dadelszen raised the issue on April 15 when he says Temoana had been squatting in the park for six weeks.
'This isn't your usual homeless person, but this is an ‘occupation' by one Mr Ranginui (that is the name he told me),” says the former regional councillor.
He told Andrew von Dadelszen he has a home adjourning, or part of, the Judea Marae.
He says that he has a dispute with the marae, and that as a tribe member of Ngati Ranginui he owns the park, and Tauranga City Council and the police can't evict him.
Andrew von Dadelszen asked councillor Bev Edlin for help.
'I was talking to people about it and they say there are a few others starting to camp there as well. Whether they are going there separately or in support I don't know,” Bev said back in April.
'Locals are getting annoyed that this gentleman can continue to squat, including defecating in the bushes, and force female walkers and joggers to refrain from using this section of the track at and after dusk,” says Andrew.
'I've been told he has been abusive to several female walkers, and my questioning him saw his aggression rise also.
'I know that if I tried to set up a tent there, the council would have me immediately evicted. Come on Tauranga City Council staff – show some backbone and get this squatter removed. We can't have different rules for different ethnicities.”
New Zealand Police say they only incident they have a record of was on March 23 when a person was arrested and given a pre-charge warning.
Anyone who has any concerns about the behaviour of anyone living in Graham Park is asked to ring Tauranga police on 577 4408.
31 comments
,
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:01 | By whatsinaname
how convenient
WTF
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:04 | By overit
Unbelievable, how gutless TCC and the Police are. Get him out of there!!!!
Anyone
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:13 | By porky
If any other race set up camp there they would be evicted really quick! Kick his freeloading butt out of there!
Maybe
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:17 | By overit
Maybe if a few of us did the same thing, got evicted or arrested, the Authorities would then have to do the same thing to Temoana.
its not that hard
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:17 | By Darth Vader NZ
So the council and the police have been doing nothing other then talking about Mr Rikirangi and have yet to come to a solution, now they have contacted his iwi still nothing has been done, the only solution is to let Mr Rikirangi live on the grounds of his mare after all a marae is described as "places of refuge for our people" on google, problem solved
How about ...
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:26 | By clermont
He takes up the homeless shelter for men, setup by the council, located at the bottom of Elizabeth street. Surely that's available to him each evening ....
Cut the P.C rhetoric
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:35 | By Jimmy Ehu
and get the fire service to test their high pressure hose system, has a twofold effect, washes him, and gets rid of him, and as for the comment about moving the problem from one spot to another *******!!!, the council/ratepayer funded shelter is 400 metres down the road, and how has this been allowed to go on for so long?
So his threatening behaviour
Posted on 10-05-2016 12:44 | By NotNat
is above the law? What a disgrace to everyone who shares a bloodline with this man. What filthy behavior! Police have "safer communities together" plastered all over their vehicles - our community does not feel safe!!!
Weasel words
Posted on 10-05-2016 13:06 | By Moby
Typical approach from the council. Read between the lines of the TDC response. It's just corporate speak words for we don't do anything cause it's too hard !! Too many other soft targets out there for us to harass !
Pussy Cat Footsteps
Posted on 10-05-2016 13:10 | By penguin
It's amazing how many reasons council has come forward with to do nothing. Someone should report this squatter
Freedom?
Posted on 10-05-2016 13:20 | By PRF
How about the Motorhome/Bus owners who have been in residence at the Whareroa Boat Ramp for at least the past month?
Enough
Posted on 10-05-2016 13:30 | By Baystyle
After a few weeks of talking, negotiation and I guess some begging maybe it is time for action?
Arrest him
Posted on 10-05-2016 13:40 | By Bay Citizen
Surely just arrest him for threatening behaviour? Sure, that just shifts the problem, but it is better that the problem is shifted to a police cell than a public park. Threatening people passing by with violence is wholly unacceptable.
The unwelcome squatter
Posted on 10-05-2016 14:48 | By smurf
I live nearby and am too afraid to use this track. Also when you consider fully contained campers can only stay in on place for two nights per month a day this cretin is urinating and defecating there I can't see why the council doesn't grow some balls and move him on. I'm sure he would get sick of having to replace his stuff if the council removed it time after time . Why should everyone else suffer?
This might work
Posted on 10-05-2016 15:29 | By penguin
Pick up the guy, complete with 'house
What a lot of toughtalkers
Posted on 10-05-2016 16:12 | By socantor01
you lot are! I walked along the track ad encountered Mr Rikinui. We had a nice chat. He was having lunch and was actually sitting down at his table using knife and fork. Seemed a decent sort of a bloke. I doubt that any of you lot have even seen him, let alone talk to him. Useless!
No Empathy
Posted on 10-05-2016 16:18 | By Conzar
The comments are filled with people who have zero empathy for a person that literally has nothing. They type from their high horses on their computers. "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." - Mahatma Ghandi. According to the comments on this forum, NZ is a weak country.
Gutless
Posted on 10-05-2016 16:31 | By Kaimai
I get a little notice from council demanding $12 if I overstay my city centre welcome by 20 minutes. Perhaps I could park there in future for free.
@socantor01
Posted on 10-05-2016 17:04 | By Taffy
Well aren,t you the bees knees so sitting at a table using a knife and fork makes him a decent chap what did you expect him to be doing swinging from the trees eating a banana.Just read the abuse this guy has heaped on people.No doubt you have invited him to camp out on your front lawn.
Everybody take a breath
Posted on 10-05-2016 17:13 | By Hunterway
Just relax. wild winter weather is on the way and I would bet he will be looking for somewhere warmer shortly.
this idiot
Posted on 10-05-2016 17:30 | By Capt_Kaveman
needs to be arrested
Conzar
Posted on 10-05-2016 17:52 | By overit
He has a home which is part of the Judea Marae, there was a falling out. So where are his people now? Its their problem. He should not be allowed to toilet there.
Enough
Posted on 10-05-2016 18:43 | By peecee09
He has numerous laws. Give him 24hrs to leave and arrest him if he refuses . Stop being a gutless council.
Maybe....
Posted on 10-05-2016 20:34 | By GreertonBoy
That part of the park needs to be dug up to widen the path? I doubt any agression towards a bulldozer would help? Strange that he can own the park? I thought the treaty was signed on behalf all of the maori people? If one white person decided to break the treaty, there would be hell to pay? Surely his iwi can talk some sense into him...and move him along. Unless he has a portaloo there, it is definately a health hazard... not to mention his agression towards people lawfully using the park? I agree with the others... the council need to grow some billiards... fair is fair.
Perhaps the solution
Posted on 11-05-2016 07:45 | By earlybird
may be to install automatic lawn sprinklers that turn on & off at random during the day & night.
To Conzar & socantor01
Posted on 11-05-2016 08:54 | By penguin
Wonder what happened to regulations, laws and rules? I look forward to you both, as being implicit 'good Samaritans,' posting a comment stating that you have taken Mr Rikirangi into your own homes.
behaviour
Posted on 11-05-2016 11:12 | By Crash test dummies
Is terrible, aggressive and threatening, normally the NZ Police would have dealt with that weeks ago, why not?
@ peecee09
Posted on 11-05-2016 12:03 | By Crash test dummies
Mucking around creates jobs, time wasting, costs to ratepayers ... this is all a TCC specialty.
@ earlybird
Posted on 11-05-2016 12:04 | By Crash test dummies
Great idea, however following the so called homeless around the city installing grass sprinklers would seem like an overkill for a simple problem.
TO PRF
Posted on 01-06-2016 15:57 | By carpedeum
Perhaps you could describe what and where the wharerea boat ramp is located?
A lot more to it
Posted on 08-06-2016 15:34 | By marshamaxw
This is the problem, all the agencies say it is a multi-agency thing, they basically want to not get their involved. This is becoming a staple feature of NZ life. I don
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