Hapu takes a stand against drilling

ROBERT CHARLES/Taranaki Daily News

STANDOFF: Members of the Otaraua hapu come face-to-face with a Greymouth Petroleum truck as they attempt to stop drilling at a North Taranaki pa site they say is sacred.

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A standoff between North Taranaki Maori and Greymouth Petroleum has led to a new well-site being blockaded by protesters.

Today members of the Otaraua hapu will apply to the environment court for an injunction to stop drilling, which they say would desecrate an historic and sacred pa site.

Yesterday about 50 protesters occupied the entrance to the wellsite on the Ngatimaru Rd at Tikorangi, in an attempt to stop preparations for drilling, which was understood to be scheduled to begin today.

Protesters have said they are upset the company waited until Saturday, the day before work was due to start, to meet the hapu at the site.

Sources say the hapu was notified on Thursday last week and told of the intention for drilling and there had been no consultation before that.

Last night police were called to the protest but no arrests were made and Greymouth Petroleum employees stopped work when asked by police who were concerned for hapu members' safety.

The wellsite is operated by Petrochem Ltd, a subsidiary of Greymouth Petroleum which owns the Kowhai gasfield.

Last night attempts made by the Taranaki Daily News to contact a representative from the company were unsuccessful.

Representatives from Otaraua hapu said they believed Greymouth Petroleum thought the planned drilling work would not disrupt or interfere with the surrounding environment.

They said this was incorrect and the Awatetake Pa was waahi tapu (sacred) with great significance and cultural relevance, and they were disappointed they had been left with little choice but to undertake the protest action.

"Greymouth Petroleum has only recently advised us of their intent, and has not given any consideration to our concerns," spokesman David Doorbar said.

"They do not understand the significance of this site which we had mistakenly believed would not be touched."

Mr Doorbar said Otaraua had had enough of its waahi tapu being desecrated.

"This is an issue about the mana of our hapu. We cannot let them take the mauri out of our waahi tapu. Enough is enough."

Yesterday the hapu stated that Greymouth Petroleum had said drilling at the site would start today.

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