A group of Waikato farmers are locking their gates in protest of what they see as a land grab of the Maungatautari Reserve by a small Maori splinter group.
They are in protest after Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust board member David Wallace resigned from the board.
David says he resigned because some members of Ngati Koroki Kahukura iwi are arresting control of the reserve and the trust board is doing nothing to stop it.
In protest, farmers, who have for a long time volunteered their time and services to maintain the reserve, have formed the Maungatautari Landowners Council.
The council's chairman, Warren Charleston, says the actions of the iwi are wrong given the community's involvement with the reserve.
In particular this is due to the community's effort in constructing a pest proof fence around the bush clad top of Maungatautari Mountain.
The fence eradicated pests in the 3400 enclosed hectares and allowed native bird species to thrive and ecology to return to pre-human arrival.
The land inside the fence includes the 2500 hectare Maungatautari Reserve and private land at the back of farms and Maori blocks.
More than 400 volunteers have been involved in building the fence and eradicating the pests. These volunteers also keep an eye on the fence to fix washouts to protect the enclosed sanctuary from pests.
But Warren says this work is being put at risk by a splinter group of Ngati Koroki Kahukura which since 2009 has demanded full control of the project and with negotiations in deadlock is causing farmers, such as David Wallace, to resign from the board.
Farmers on the Maungatautari Landowners Council have now locked their gates to the reserve and are calling on the public to support them.
Warren says central government must get involved.
'We are saying ‘enough',” says Warren.
'The Maungatautari Reserve is a national asset that needs to be kept for New Zealanders; not casually given away by Treaty Negotiation Minister Chris Finlayson.
'Our message to Prime Minister John Key is we are not radical people, but we have been driven to take action that we would not have thought of doing, but for this headlong rush to give our country away."
He says that all New Zealanders should make a stand at Maungatautari Reserve.
'What happens here is what will happen all over New Zealand.”
14 comments
Time all this nonsense Stopped
Posted on 08-12-2010 10:25 | By tabatha
We see this happening too often, what was paid for land back in the mid 1800's was a fair price, but somewhere we have a group of greedy and not full blood Maoris seeking more. When a group of people work together for the good of NZers' a splinter group suddenly decides it is their time to get in on the act. Central Government has to do something fast. I wonder whether I should claim for what my ancestors sold because on todays market it is worth more. Good on the farmers standing up to this group.
I Want It!
Posted on 08-12-2010 13:55 | By nightbeat
.
barry
Posted on 08-12-2010 14:36 | By [email protected]
This is not the beginning and it is not the end. But it must end John Key. It is your job to end it or you are at the end of your rope. Act now and support decent members of society
land grab.
Posted on 08-12-2010 15:08 | By joy atkinson
Sorry to see you resigned David, stand and fight! We fought for this country 60 odd years ago what have they ever done? Signed a Veteran.
Are all above blind?
Posted on 08-12-2010 15:11 | By SpeakUp
Central government is giving away all NZ foreshore and seabed. Why would they care about Maungatautari? Wake up people! ALL people (Maori AND Pakeha not associated with corporates) because your land is given away to corporate greed (Maori and Pakeha) and racial polarisation is used for this despicable deal. Shame on National!
stick it!
Posted on 08-12-2010 17:39 | By claypole
May I suggest that those members of the splinter group, each take a fence post and stick it where the sun dont shine! John Key and National are a joke and blinded when votes and money come to the front of any action. I have been in NZ for only 8 years from England but am amazed how local, regional and central government stand back and let a minority throw their toys out the pram. Wake up, NZ has a small economy that is being bled dry by a greedy few and now they are looking at increasing retirement age because of a lack of money. All the people involved in creating and maintaining this ecological heaven with hard graft and resilience over many years, need support from government to continue its fantastic benefit to us (from school kids upwards) and the natural environment !
A story
Posted on 08-12-2010 18:10 | By Colleen Spiro
I dont know enough about this to comment, but your statement about what was paid in the mid 1800's "was fair" leaves me wondering HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW. I want to relay a little story. When I did my training for the Citizens Advice Bureau years ago. A group of about 15-20 pakeha were in a room and each where given a peice of paper to read from 1840 onwards, right up to about the 1960's. These were Acts of Parliament which had been passed without probably much consultation at all. They outlined what Maori were not allowed to do, and slowly, but surely, they were left with little or no rights regarding lots of things. After each person had read the Act that was on their piece of paper, the whole room of Pakeha people were in STUNNED SILENCE ... We could not believe what we had just heard each one read out. I wish I could remember them. I have searched the internet, but sadly cannot find any info....will ring the CAB tomorrow to see if they still use it in their training.
White Supremacy?
Posted on 08-12-2010 19:43 | By wazza2076
I am appalled at the complete and utter ignorance that surrounds the maunga at this time. How is it that all of the people who have commented so far speak as if they know both sides of this story? Your ignorance goes so far as adding an ‘s' on the end of Maori and I can hear the continual mispronunciation of Maungatautari like finger nails to a blackboard. Further, if you are opposed to the current treaty claim, sorry buddy but you're 3 decades too late! While Maori were out fighting for their rights as the indigenous people of this land (injustices caused through colonial oppression - nothing any of you would know about), you had your judgemental hats on like you continue to today. Why is it that both Labour and National have continued to support the settling of treaty claims? This is not about trading land for smallpox infected blankets and muskets or even land that was paid for - this is about 'raupatu lands” - lands that were unjustifiably confiscated through force due to capitalist greed of that time. Ask yourselves, whose lens you view Maori through - it's certainly not indigenous, that is clear. Further, what is more interesting is that this splinter group - I refer to as the 'landowners council” have demonstrated behaviours that interestingly enough resemble that of White Supremacists...and I quote 'Hate groups in the mid-1990s are refocusing their energies. They are worried that they can never convince the majority of white Americans to join them in their netherworld. While many whites may share their prejudices, very few are willing to act on them by openly carrying a Klan calling card or an Uzi. This situation demands a new strategy that combines old hatreds with new rhetoric. White supremacists desperately need to reinvigorate their movement with new recruits by manipulating white fears into action. I ask the people who have so ignorantly commented - are you part of a Hate Group? I certainly hope not otherwise we will end up by seeing a New Zealand equivalent movie to American History X someday soon. From what I can see, there have been no hateful comments by Maori to date...but I hear and read many by budding white supremacists everyday in the media by this splinter group 'The Landowners Council”. Grow some balls and ears Warren, come and talk to Maori kanohi ki te kanohi but then you wouldn't know anything about tikanga now would you but you still feel you have the right to speak on behalf of a people you know NOTHING about? And what of responsible journalism Sunlive? And you wonder why there are so many treaty claims - please!
hahaha!
Posted on 08-12-2010 20:30 | By wazza2076
may i suggest that if those members of the splinter group take a fence post and stick it where the sun don't shine, and pull it out again, they would be holding a claypole.
unbelievable
Posted on 08-12-2010 22:14 | By dogsbody
Wazza: what a load of racist claptrap. you have no idea about how these people are pronouncing. you are reading, doh. and worse, maori had no written language so how you can make such wild assertions is typical of radical maori attitudes from which the rest of us cringe. to top it off, you have a swipe at sunlive, the very media which brought you the opportunity to read the story and then graciously provided you the means to comment! man, have you got some issues, more than a chip on your shoulder, you got the whole totara log.
Ka whawhai tonu matou
Posted on 09-12-2010 00:35 | By wazza2076
I stand corrected, you are right dogsbody, not everyone mispronounces te reo Maori however, it was meant as a metaphor in response to the first 6 responses only, doh. I'm fully supportive of what kiaora2u has stated. Secondly, yes again you are correct, te reo Maori was not originally a written language but I don't recall it ever having an 's' sounding consonant - again a metaphor for kuaretanga. I'm sorry again that the 'rest of you' that you refer to dogsbody, cringe every time Maori take a stand. I'm sure if we were wrong about these things we wouldn't have the support of the United Nations, the government or all identified indigenous or subjugated peoples throughout the world. Lastly, I wasn't swiping Sunlive, instead, it was a challenge to Sunlive to report a more balanced perspective on this entire issue. I have no chip, but I do look forward to the totara - what an amazing indigenous rakau it is :-) Kia tau te rangimarie
What Price Wellington
Posted on 09-12-2010 12:15 | By Colleen Spiro
Found this on a NZ History site What Price Wellington? * 100 red blankets * 2 tierces tobacco * 2 cases soap * 48 iron pots * 60 red night caps * 10 doz pairs of scissors * 10 doz looking glasses * 21 kegs gunpowder * 15 fowling pieces * 1 keg lead slabs * 1 cask ball catridges * 100 tomahawks * 100 cartouche bags * 100 yards check * 100 yards ribbon * 1 doz pairs shoes * 10 doz combs * 1 doz razors * 1 doz sticks sealing wax * 200 yards calico * 2 doz kerchiefs * 200 pencils * 1 case pipes * 40 pipe tomahawks * 50 steel axes * 2 doz spades * 12 bullet moulds * 12 doz shirts * 20 jackets * 1,200 fish hooks * 300 yards cotton duck * 1 doz hats * 1 dox umbrellas * 1 gross jews harp * 2 suits clothes * 6 doz hoes * 2 doz adzes * 1 doz shaving boxes Is that a fair trade Tabatha?????
Fair price?
Posted on 09-12-2010 13:03 | By SpeakUp
It was apparently the fair price for one tribe in order to subjugate their neighbor tribe. Who you're think you're kidding?
Not kidding anyone
Posted on 09-12-2010 13:23 | By Colleen Spiro
@ Speakup - Glad we have an expert among us. Not trying to kid anyone. I dont believe all I read either. Just passing on some information. Getting a little nervous myself as Land Transport might need my land and they say I AM NOT TO MAKE A PROFIT, under the Public Works Act.... http://www.slideshare.net/nzhistory/new-zealand-1800-1900-part-b-economy-and-politics-2009-class-version-1752171
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