Ihumātao dispute: No development to take place until solution is found, PM says

Friday, 26 July 2019

Protesters and police have been locked in a stand-off since Tuesday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced no development will take place at Ihumātao until a solution over a long dispute can be reached.

Members of Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) have been illegally occupying the land in south Auckland's Māngere for the past three years.

Things at Ihumātao had 'escalated' and a resolution was needed, PM Jacinda Ardern says.

They are against Fletcher Building turning the land into a housing development, saying it is wāhi tapu, or sacred to Māori.

On Tuesday morning, those occupying the land were served with an eviction notice, which sparked the current protest.

Green co-leader Marama Davidson told the protesters she and her colleagues would do everything they could to help.

People slept overnight in a field earmarked for development.

* Stan Walker performs at Ihumātao: 'If my people ain't winning, I ain't winning'

* Seven more arrested at contested Ihumātao

Jarod Rawiri was at Ihumātao on Friday for the second day in a row.

* Ihumātao eviction: Dogs pepper sprayed, people arrested**

Protesters have called on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to resolve the situation but she had earlier said it would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene as the local iwi, Te Kawerau ā Maki, supported the development.

The singer performed a set to a large crowd in South Auckland overnight.

On Friday evening, Ardern said it had become clear to the Government that 'things have escalated' around the housing development.

Speaking to media, Ardern said no building action would take place on the land until a solution could be reached.

Government members, Fletcher Building, Auckland Council, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and mana whenua had met on Thursday.

Ardern said she believed the Government could try and help facilitate a solution.

Mana whenua needed to be at the centre of the discussion and there was a role for Government in helping to find a way through, she said.

'We can play a role in trying to help broker a solution.'

Ardern asked people be respectful of the land they would be visiting.

'My hope is that it's peaceful, that it's respectful.'

She said the Government had heard the voices of both mana whenua, who wanted homes for their people, and rangatahi, who felt strongly connected to the land.

Earlier on Friday, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and members Chloe Swarbrick, Golriz Ghahraman and Jan Logie were welcomed onto the site.

Davidson told crowds they were there to support everyone on the whenua.

'Every day we are taking your voices into the halls of power,' Davidson said.

'We are taking your truth into the halls of power.'

If the issue of stolen land was not addressed, it would keep happening, she added.

Davidson said the Green Party would do all it could to help.

However, she stopped short, in response to media questioning, of saying the party might drop its support for the coalition Government as a result of inaction.

'We will see how things go,' Davidson told media.

The protest was peaceful on Friday, with hundreds listening to music, watching performances, making poi and providing face painting for children.

Former Shortland Street actor Jarod Rawiri showed up for the second day in a row to support mana whenua.

'It's not a protest,' Rawiri, who played paramedic Mo Hannah, told Stuff.

'It's them exercising their sovereignty over this whenua. I want to come and support that.

'A couple of my friends and I, other people in the acting industry, we decided we would come down and help. We bought supplies – we bought water and blankets because I know that those people who are sitting here on the land, they are going to be in for the long haul.'

A concert would be held on Saturday at Ihumātao, with Stan Walker, TEEKS, Ladi6 and JessB performing in the free event. Walker earlier performed on Thursday night.

It would start at 11am and run until 'late'.