Far North protesters move off road, happy with DOC apology

Matai Bay. Picture /Supplied

Far North Maori have moved blockades off an access road to a beach camping ground, saying they are very happy their land will now be respected and protected.

Ngati Kahu Maori had blocked the road to the Department of Conservation (DOC) camping ground at Matai on the Karikari Peninsula northeast of Kaitaia.

Ngati Kahu chairwoman Professor Margaret Mutu said they were fed up with people abusing their land and took the action to block the road after years of frustration.

However, Prof Mutu said today they were very pleased with an apology from DOC for allowing the abuse to continue and an assurance their land would be protected.

"The Conservation Department was very, very good," she told NZPA today.

She said Ngati Kahu had tried over the years to help those who respected the land.

"But at the end of the day it is always that handful who wreck it for everybody else."

Prof Mutu said campers and visitors took vehicles to places "anyone with any commonsense wouldn't take a vehicle."

When they got stuck they expected to be pulled out.

When they were told they were trespassing on private land they became abusive and threatening.

She said the vast majority were fine and apologised when they were told they were trespassing.

Yesterday, Ngati Kahu met DOC Northland regional conservator Chris Jenkins and Prof Mutu said DOC was very apologetic.

"They acknowledged legally they are responsible for their campers and they made an absolute undertaking to take full responsibility for them and make sure they didn't do what they have been doing.

"The only way it will turn to custard is if DOC doesn't carry out what it has promised."

She said they were taking the DOC comments on face value.

"They were very, very good yesterday."

Prof Mutu said there was no question local Maori owned the road but public access had been provided for years.

Yesterday, Conservation Minister Chris Carter said the barricade was on a public road and he could not tolerate people breaking the law and stopping public access through a public road leading to a public camping site.

He said in 1974 the Maori Land Court authorised a public road through the Maori land.

Today, Prof Mutu she was happy with public access over their private road provided the land was respected.

"That is all we ever wanted."

Protesters packed up early last night, happy with the DOC assurances.

"The only thing they were worried about was . . . they said 'Oh DOC has promised us things in the past and welshed on it and has just not done anything'," she said.

However, Prof Mutu said Mr Jenkins had apologised for past mistakes, including the lack of joint management committee meetings to look after the land.

"That means a lot to our people when people can say 'I'm sorry'," she said.

She said when the Maori Land Court set the road aside as Maori land in 1974, it did not tell Ngati Kahu about public access over the land to the camping ground.

"We had always allowed the public through but by crikey when they don't behave themselves... ?"

The camping ground is subject to a Treaty of Waitangi claim which is yet to go through the full process.

Mr Carter said he believed the action was really a de facto protest against the Foreshore and Seabed Act, passed last month, which affirms Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed.

Today, Mr Jenkins said DOC was keen to re establish the joint committee to manage the area.

"We totally agree with the whanau that good communication is the key to minimising these sort of problems."

Sharing the profits of the camping ground, along with the management, had been raised by Ngati Kahu but that was an issue to be dealt with in the future, he told National Radio.

Mr Jenkins said no one was suggesting the camping ground be closed and DOC was told yesterday the iwi was committed to keeping it open, even if it was returned under a treaty settlement.

- NZPA