Path around Lake Horowhenua slammed as 'desecration'

Lake Horowhenua

Plans for a proposed shared pathway around Lake Horowhenua have been slammed by one of the lake beneficiary owners.

Vivienne Taueki said the 12-kilometre track would "desecrate" waahi tapu, or sacred sites, that exist around the lake.

However, a media release claims the initiative has the support of all five signatory partners to the Lake Horowhenua Accord; including the Lake Horowhenua Trust representing the Muaupoko beneficial owners, Horizons Regional Council, Horowhenua District Council, Horowhenua Lake Domain Board and the Department of Conservation.
Ms Taueki said lake trustees had been informed about the sacred areas, but didn't care about Maori sites.

"There are many, many ancient and contemporary waahi tapu around the lake, including places where my children's and my ancestors' pito are buried," she said.

"This is a blatant and intentional desecration of waahi tapu by people who should know better."

Ms Taueki said she had also "regularly" informed Horowhenua District Council about the sites.

"They are just as guilty as the lake trustees in desecrating Muaupoko taonga and waahi tapu."

"All of those different sites, all of those different burials - as far as we're concerned they're all connected to the lake, that's why they're there."

Lake Horowhenua Trust chairman Matt Sword said the project needed everyone to embrace it as an opportunity.

He said from his understanding, there were not any sacred sites around the lake that the pathway would go through.

"The stage we're at is just to get the feasibility report so we can go and talk to the owners about the project. I'm sure we'd be able to talk about those things then."

He said Ms Taueki's view was not necessarily the view of "many hundreds" of other owners of the lake.

"There is desire by the five partners to invigorate their collective energy, pool efforts and help the walk and cycleway vision become reality," he said.

In a media release in late June, Mr Sword said the pathway provided an opportunity to tell stories about the lake in the way that only Muaupoko can tell them.

Despite the fact feasibility studies still had to be carried out, he said the Lake Horowhenua Trust hoped to officially open the walk and cycleway on August 4, 2018, exactly five years after the Lake Horowhenua Accord was signed.