Roadworks plans pulled after Occupation ō Mangamaunu hui with agencies

Sunday, 15 March 2020

Flags at the coastal occupation of Kiwa Rd in Kaikōura.

Iwi occupying land on the Kaikōura coast say they have stopped work through an urupā, cemetery, calling it a 'huge' moment in the protest.

Sharon Rayner, who is part of Occupation ō Mangamaunu at Kiwa Rd, said tangata whenua invited authorities to a meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting was called after the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery alliance (NCTIR), and Kaikōura District Council told Stuff they did not plan to meet the occupiers.

Rayner said the hui took place at the Mangamaunu urupā and groups explained 'why they were there and what they represented'.

Sharon Rayner says being told the works were not going ahead was a 'huge moment'.

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Sharon Rayner, left, Hannah Timms and Miriama Teahipuhia Allen, right, on the first day of the occupation on February 2.

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Rayner, who is Ngāti Kuri, said they were told that NCTIR would be 'pulling all works from the area'.

It was a 'huge moment' for tangata whenua, she said.

'It's huge because we've managed to stop those works that were proposed for that area.'

The occupation at the intersection of Kiwa Rd and State Highway 1 in Kaikōura.

Occupation ō Mangamaunu began at the land near the intersection of Kiwa Rd and State Highway 1 on February 2, in a stand to protect sacred sites, urupā, whenua and tipuna.

'If there was anything I was going to say to any agencies working in a disaster, it's that I hope there wouldn't be that same mistake made of using something as detrimental as that earthquake legislation in taking away community and tangata whenua's voices and rights.

'Let them have a say on how things should be put back together,' Rayner said.

Tangata whenua say Kiwa Rd cuts through the urupā burial ground which can be seen within the red boundaries.

The hui was attended by representatives from NCTIR, Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle, tangata whenua, hau kāinga home people and Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura.

The occupation would now focus its attention on closing Kiwa Rd and the reopening of Station Rd, to 'return urupā, tīpuna, ancestors, and whenūa, land, as one', Rayner said.

NCTIR was scheduled to commence 'safety upgrades' at the Kiwa Rd intersection on February 3, but worked never started.

The North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery alliance told Stuff on Thursday, it would not continue with the 'planned and approved' safety improvements at the intersection, a decision they said was made in early February.

'NCTIR will instead look into other safety improvements in this area to protect road users and the urupā.'

Last month, they said crew would be diverted to other works until 'a clear way forward' was established between rūnanga, council, the occupation, and NCTIR.

On Thursday, NZ Transport Agency manager Colin Knaggs said they were 'working closely and collaboratively' with Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and council.

Another hui was arranged for March 21 by Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura for whānau to discuss Kiwa Rd matters, Knaggs said.

Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura and council would not comment.

Occupiers were originally members of community group Protect Our Unique Kaikōura Coast (POU), but broke away to start the occupation.

POU chair Ngaio Te Ua said they supported the occupation.

'POU have always thought that the occupation at Mangamaumu is an iwi hapū, or tribal affiliations issue, to be resolved by them and support their stance over their mana whenua motuhake, authority of tribal ancestral lands.'

Te Ua said POU was pleased to see they had achieved their goal and NCTIR would no longer be working at the site.

'We tautoko, support, their thoughts to the closing of this access and restoring the urupā to its sacred intention.

'POU also support the re-opening of Station Rd as a safer alternative to the dangerous, hazardous entry into Kiwa Rd that has seen people killed in the past,' she said.