KEY POINTS:
A Tuhoe hapu are vowing to continue their blockade of a road and forestry land south of Whakatane, despite complaints of criminal behaviour and a warning they have until tomorrow to move.
The Omuriwaka hapu has stopped the public using Matahi Valley Rd, which leads to Te Urewera National Park and a popular Department of Conservation campground, since September.
Members of the hapu are camped on the road and are also preventing workers entering a forestry block owned by a consortium of foreign and local companies, claiming the land is tribal land belonging to Omuriwaka.
Police have responded to two complaints involving the group, one involving a Whakatane District Councillor who said a hapu member tried to confiscate his vehicle and then damaged it at the blockade.
The hapu member has been charged with wilful damage.
Police also removed a gate erected by the hapu across the road after the forestry consortium manager, Rayonier New Zealand, complained the gate was stolen from its forestry block.
Rayonier has issued the hapu with a notice ordering them to remove vehicles parked across entrances to the block by tomorrow, but those operating the blockade yesterday told the Herald they had no intention of allowing access.
"It's private property," Tania Te Pairi said. "We only want to run and manage our own affairs."
Ms Te Pairi, who was camped in a bus with a sign "Historical Site: Keep Out", said the hapu would also continue restricting access to Matahi Valley Rd and charge any authority using it $5000.
"No government departments, no government entity, is allowed past the bus, doing their business on our whenua."
She said members of the public could ask permission from the Omuriwaka Marae hapu management committee secretary, whose telephone number was in public notices advertising the blockade, and each request would be considered individually.
In the hour the Herald was at the site, two cars were turned back, one with a fisherman who had just driven from Auckland.
"I'm happy enough to hear their grievances but I need to know in advance if there's a protest," he said.
About six vehicles belonging to hapu members were allowed past during the time.
Police last night said they were reluctant to stop the blockade because of a general consensus among authorities that there was a "tiny issue" related to ownership of the road.
"If any offences are committed, in the way of threats or assaults, we will be dealing with those," said Senior Sergeant Mark van der Kley of Kawerau police.
"We will not be forcing access on behalf of the public."
The original access road to Te Urewera National Park was destroyed by floods in 1964, and rebuilt through Omuriwaka and other Tuhoe hapu land.
The Whakatane District Council, which has been holding talks with Omuriwaka to end the blockade, considers the existing road "a public road crossing private property".
"That is why we are emphasising the need to come up with a solution that is acceptable to both sides," council spokesman Barney Dzowa said.
Hundreds of people use the road to access the DoC campground and walking tracks in the national park in summer, but the department is now advising the road is closed, saying it is up to the council to resolve the matter.
Bay of Plenty regional manager Jason Syme said: "We obviously have quite different interpretations in terms of the status of that land."
