The High Court has ordered an immediate halt to the burning and destruction of the hut network throughout Te Urewera.

In an interim ruling released by the High Court in Rotorua today, Justice Mark Woolford said the Te Urewera Board and the Trustees of Tūhoe – Te Uru Taumatua, their employees and contractors, must 'immediately cease their programme to demolish or remove the huts”.

Justice Woolford also said the Trustees of Tūhoe – Te Uru Taumatua must 'file and serve a complete list of the huts that have been demolished or removed by 5pm on Wednesday November 9”.

The ruling comes after applicant Wharenui Clyde Tuna sought to halt what he described as 'the hasty destruction by fire of the hut network throughout Te Urewera”.

The interim judgement notes the special relationship Tuna has with Te Urewera 'that transcends the physical contemporary world, a relationship that is founded in past, present and future generational connection with Te Urewera”.

'[Tuna] has used the huts, which are the subject of this proceeding, for recreation and the gathering of food since he was a child.”

Tuna also told the High Court that the destruction of the huts, which he said commenced in or about early October this year, 'has caused great distress and loss of wairua for the applicant and affects his Tūhoetana”.

'Between the burning down of the Kanohirua hut at the end of October 2022, the applicant believes between 15 and 20 huts have been burnt down by employees or contractors of the second respondent [Trustees of Tūhoe – Te Uru Taumatua],” the judgement said.

'It is apparent that the second respondent intends to continue with its project to destroy the huts. Its publicly stated objective is to have destroyed them all before Christmas 2022.”

Justice Woolford also noted concerns about the hut destruction programme had also been raised, via affidavits in support, from conservationist and former manager of the Te Urewera Mainland Island project Peter Geoffrey Shaw and Nga Tapuwae O Taneatua Tramping Club president Peter Donald Askey.

'[Askey] says the hut network provides an essential contingency for travel if things go wrong due to weather, illness or injury.”

Woolford said that while the interim order 'may cause some frustration to the respondents' plans, any opposition to interim relief lacks weight”.

A spokesperson for Trustees of Tūhoe – Te Uru Taumatua said they would be complying with the interim injunction.

He said the interim injunction had been sought without notice to the organisation.

The arguments about the case had yet to be heard, he said, and a fuller statement from the organisation was due to be issued.

-Benn Bathgate/Stuff.