Evicted residents fear for future of coast settlement

Some residents would rather burn their houses than give them up. Photo / Supplied

Residents in a Bay of Plenty community are concerned that the eviction of a group of homeowners is the beginning of a removal of their settlement.

Nearly 30 homeowners are being ejected from Little Waihi, near Maketu, by the owners of the land, the Rotorua-based Te Arawa Lakes Trust.

The trust said the community's septic tanks were polluting the estuary, and has ordered them to leave within a year.

Forty homeowners have been allowed to stay, but some say a letter sent by the iwi's commercial arm indicated their future was not secure.

A termination notice sent in May said "it is the intention of the trust to remove the settlement and tidy up the estuary".

An elderly resident who was allowed to remain because of his age said his bach was on shaky ground.

"I had hoped to die here. But it is quite clear that this is just the start. The letter said I could remain here "at this time" - that doesn't give me much security."

More than 120 residents from Little Waihi and Maketu gathered on Wednesday night, formulating questions for Te Arawa Lakes Trust.

They will meet the trust on June 13 to discuss their licences to occupy.

Some are fourth-generation residents, and said they would rather burn their houses down than give them to the iwi.

Brian Goldsbury, who chaired the meeting, said homeowners questioned why they were being removed for poor wastewater systems when a new sewerage system would soon be constructed.

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council planned to begin installing a modern sewerage system in November next year, six months after the eviction date.

Barbara Kiri, who aimed to retire at her idyllic Little Waihi home this year, said she would happily pay a higher rent if it meant she could stay. Her family had lived in the settlement since 1945.

Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Toby Curtis said the iwi did not intend to kick people out onto the street, and would work with the community for a positive outcome.

Te Arawa has indicated to the council that it intended to build 300 houses on the land between Maketu and Little Waihi. Residents suggested that they could be moved there, and pay a higher rent.

Most pay between $25 and $80 rent a week for their coastal properties.