Hapu to fight subdivision of sacred site at Ngunguru

Three Whangarei hapu will fight plans to subdivide land containing a mountain they hold sacred. Te Waiariki, Ngati Korora and Ngati Taka hapu will appeal a decision allowing a 33ha block of land near Ngunguru to be subdivided into four lots.
The land contains Whakareora Mountain, a site of paramount importance to the hapu.
Mitai Paraone-Kawiti, of the Te Waiariki/Ngati Korora/Ngati Taka Resource Management Unit, said an appeal had been lodged with the Environment Court because of the cultural, historical and spiritual significance of Whakareora to the hapu.
Independent hearings commissioner Alan Watson, on behalf of the Whangarei District Council, granted consent to subdivide the block last month, with a raft of conditions.
But the hapu say building houses on the sacred mountain at Ngunguru would be akin to defiling Westminster Abbey or the Vatican.
"It's too important a site to lose," Mr Paraone-Kawiti said.
The hapu planned a hui at the Pataua North Recreation Centre on Saturday to discuss the issue and anyone interested could attend, he said.
The conditions imposed by Mr Watson include preserving bush, limiting the amount of earth that could be moved, protecting cultural and ecological values, as well as building controls.
He said the proposal initially raised concern because of its coastal location, its vegetation, ecological and Maori values.
"However ... the sensitivity of the property has been recognised from the outset and every endeavour has been made to ensure that the adverse effects that will arise from it are avoided or sufficiently mitigated to a degree that they will be no more than minor," he said. But during the hearing, hapu member Adrian Dickie said Maori would rather the development did not go ahead at all. Mr Dickie said historically only tohunga (priests) were allowed to live on the mountain.