By Wena Harawira of Whakaata Maori
The Tūhoe settlement entity, Te Uru Taumatua, says responding to a High Court injunction to stop the demolition of Te Urewera huts may cost $200,000.
On November 9 the High Court at Rotorua ordered an immediate halt to the destruction of 48 huts following an application by Wharenui Clyde Tuna of Tūhoe, who was concerned about the loss of access to use the huts “as a base for food gathering, recreational and cultural purposes”. He said Te Uru Taumatua failed to consult on its plan.
Justice Mark Woolford granted the injunction, saying a hearing on the issues was needed. However, no date has been set.
In its December e-pānui to iwi beneficiaries, Te Uru Taumatua stated it had spent $20,000 to respond to the injunction requests and estimated the process could cost $200,000, a budget it had intended to allocate to build transitional huts.