Twenty-metre path carved through pā site on Auckland mountain

Thursday, 18 October 2018

A 20-metre track has been cut into Ōtāhuhu/Mt Richmond in south Auckland.

Significant damage has been done to an ancient archeological site on an Auckland maunga.

A 20-metre path was carved through a previously undisturbed midden site of ancient seashell deposits along Ōtāhuhu/Mt Richmond.

Some feijoa trees were also planted at the site, which was one of the few intact remnants from when the maunga was a pā, or fortified village.

The Tūpuna Maunga Authority said it did not know who caused the damage or why, but said the path could be for a walking or mountain biking track.

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The damage was a prosecutable offence under the Reserves Act 1977 and the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014, a spokesman said.

'The maunga are in fact archaeological sites, and this intrudes on important cultural values.

'We want to invite members of the public to get in touch with us if they have information relating to this damage.'

The incident was reported by contractors on October 11.

The authority's operations manager Nick Turoa said the damage was most likely caused by a spade, because there were no track marks leading up to the site.

'From time to time we do find trees been planted and areas being dug at or similar, but nothing like this,' Turoa said.

'People are overstepping the mark when they [are] modifying areas without the authority of the administering body.'

Turoa said he would like to find the people responsible, as well as provide awareness around why people shouldn't be cutting tracks or planting without authorisation on sites of significance to mana whenua.

Future restoration plans for the maunga, including updating the current track, the entrance way and native flora and fauna were currently in the planning stage.

Tūpuna Taonga Trust, which represents all iwi in the Treaty of Waitangi settlement over the maunga, had been notified.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or witnessed anyone acting suspiciously, were asked to contact and report the incident to Auckland Council.