Harawira urges MPs to back beach protest

As a protest on a Far North beach against part of a $50 million condominium development enters its 10th day today, a Maori Party MP is urging other Northland MPs to join him and do what they can to stop the project.

Te Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira also says he intends to approach Conservation Minister Chris Carter, Local Government Minister Mark Burton and Minister of Maori Affairs Parekura Horomia seeking an immediate investigation of issues involved.

Up to 50 protesters, with tents and a house bus, are taking rostered turns at sitting in on Cable Bay Beach, northeast of Kaitaia, to stop construction of a steel footbridge over State Highway 10 which would link a luxury hillside development, Crystal Waters, with the beach.

Members of the Doubtless Bay community and local hapu are maintaining a vigil against any attempt by contractors to move a 25-tonne digger and pile-driving equipment on to the picturesque beach.

The contractors have a Northland Regional Council temporary permit to go on to the beach until November 25, but protesters have built a structure on the foreshore site where a 12m pile is to be sunk.

A working group opposed to the footbridge says the local community and Maori were never consulted before the Far North council gave the bridge non-notified consent in January 2003.

In a statement, Mr Harawira said if Maori were omitted from the council planning process, this was clearly "a culture of exclusion we would not expect to see in a democracy". It needed to be remedied immediately.

He accused the district council of misreading the situation and urged it to withdraw consent for the footbridge.

Professor Margaret Mutu, chair of the local Ngati Kahu iwi authority, said her iwi, as mana whenua in the area, were totally opposed to developments at Cable Bay.

"We simply will not allow activities which have severe negative impacts on the foreshore, such as this proposed development, to proceed," she said.

Neither the district council nor Crystal Waters had asked Ngati Kahu hapu for their consent or opinion before the project was approved.

The footbridge from the 50-unit condominium development to the beach "is servicing the needs of an elite section of society, rather than catering for the needs of the wider community", Professor Mutu said.

Contractors' representatives have been in contact with Far North police this week to discuss legal issues involved in gaining access to the beach to start work on the footbridge.

But while issues remain unresolved, police say they will not get involved in any attempt to move on the protesters.

The stand-off is set to continue this weekend because the contractors' foreshore work permit is for weekdays only and does not allow Saturday or Sunday work.