Activists deny role in blaze at ex-All Black's bach

Accusations of foul play have been made against environmental activists in Mahanga in the Hawkes Bay after former All Black Murray Mexted's bach burned to the ground in a suspected arson attack.

But members of Mahanga E Tu (Mahanga Stand Up) say they had nothing to do with the fire and they were the ones who saved Mexted's possessions.

Mahanga E Tu opposes Mexted's plans, approved by independent planning commissioners last month, to subdivide two sections into six and build holiday homes on two of the sites.

The bach, a converted tin shed used as sleeping quarters, was to be demolished to make way for the subdivision.

It was razed on Thursday morning.

Fire crews arrived to find it destroyed but were able to prevent flames spreading to two smaller sheds, used to store kayaks and fishing equipment.

Fire investigators are looking into the cause of the fire, and have not ruled out arson.

Resident Lis Battes said the leader of Mahanga E Tu, Margaret Fraser, had received phone calls saying the fire "did not look good" for her group.

Mrs Battes said the suggestion was their group had something to do with it.

"I was horrified. If you met Margaret she's a secretary. Here's a woman saying to her this does not look good for her group but they put their lives at risk."

Mrs Fraser called the fire brigade and her husband had helped pull Mexted's kayaks and fishing equipment out of a storage shed before the flames got to them.

She said: "My husband went over with an axe and they broke the lock and pulled out kayaks and all the other stuff that was in the shed before it went up.

"If we had any grudge we would not have done it."

Another Mahanga E Tu member, Peter Krzanich, who helped save the kayaks from the flames, said he suspected the fire may have been deliberately lit to discredit the group as it prepared to take its case to the environment court.

Mexted said the blaze was very upsetting.

"We have been coming to the bach for five years. We kept a lot of our possessions there."

The fire has revived memories for Mahanga residents of a suspected arson in 2008 in which the first house of a subdivision in Blue Bay, Opoutama, burnt down.

The subdivision, which did not go ahead, replaced a popular camping ground. No one was charged over the fire.

- APN