Another farmer has locked his gates into the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust Project to prevent trust workers from maintaining the pest proof fence.
The Maungatautari Land Owners Council says he has locked his gates after recently reading about new releases of endangered birds onto the mountain, even though it is quite possible the fence will need to be dismantled.

Maungatautari reserve.

Landowners on the boundary of the 3400ha wildlife haven have locked their gates and suggest the fence has to be moved off their properties.
This is due to a disagreement which stemmed from the trust's governance structure being changed to a two-tiered model – made up of a guardian group of stakeholder representatives evenly split between landowners, iwi and volunteers – with an operational board of six; three iwi and three non-iwi.

Landowners council spokesperson Peter Holmes says all re-introductions of endangered birds should be stopped as Department of Conservation cannot guarantee the fence to be in place inside of two months.

'We are also very concerned that MEIT workers are still coming on to private land on which they have been told not to trespass,” says Peter.

'This is a highly provocative move which shows disregard for private property rights and we will be taking further action.”

In a separate action, a Maori Land Court judge agreed to prohibit the lead negotiator for Ngati Koroki Kahukura from entering land owned by another Maori land trust that provides access to the southern enclosure and the mountain off the end of Tari Road.

The Muru family, whose 4G4 Trust owns the land on which the entry gates to the mountain and the southern enclosure are built, are being very badly treated by MEIT and Waipa District Council, says Peter.

'The land at the end of Tari Road where the gates to the mountain are situated is the 4G4 Block owned by private Maori owners and the project will always require their goodwill. 'As well, having the southern enclosure built partly on their land also requires their goodwill. However, Ngati Koroki Kahukura negotiators have antagonised the family, as they have everyone else and so the owners decided to weld shut the gates.

'Those welds were then broken by interests associated with Ngati Koroki Kahukura according to witnesses.”

Peter says that act should send a shock wave throughout New Zealand as there is now a government proceeding with a treaty claim that is going to override the private property rights of landowners and farmers.

'If they can do it here they can do it anywhere in New Zealand.”

Peter says the Office of Treaty Settlements has failed to consult with the wider public about the NKK claim on the 2500ha of Crown land on Maungatautari.

'So everyone must be clear; if this treaty settlement proceeds, then on the same day the pest proof fence must be moved off a large number of farms.

'We therefore urge the Prime Minister to stop this madness and to listen to the community, consult with them and ask for their opinion.

'This community needs to know the full details of this proposed deal between the Crown and NKK before it proceeds any further.”