Sacred site blast 'tragedy'

A hydro-electric company has been accused of destroying a community's "One Tree Hill" by blowing up a sacred rock formation in Te Anga.

Last week construction and management company Clearwater Hydro – a subsidiary of King Country network operator the Lines Company – blew up the two-storeyed rock formation, known as Rongomai Te Karaka, which was considered culturally significant and "waahi tapu" to older Maori.

The project has the support of much of the community but some iwi members had been occupying the site in an unsuccessful bid to protect the rock after legal action failed. The company is building a small scale community hydro-electric project on an isolated section of the Tawarau River near Te Anga.

Te Anga kaumatua Patrick Maikuku, an expert on the history of the district, said dynamiting the rock was "an absolute tragedy for iwi". "This rock was as important to us as One Tree Hill is to Auckland," he said. "This (destruction of the rock) was a Saddam Hussein sort of thing. They went in and destroyed it." The historical significance of the site dated back to the days of Ngati Toa chief Te Rauparaha and the battle of Te Kakara, between Lake Taharoa and the coast.

"In those days a Maori couldn't get a tattoo after battle unless they went to a spiritual place, and this (the rock) was one of those places. It has always been a treasured place and because it is so isolated we thought it would never be touched. I'm really sad it has come to this. This has been a wake-up call for Maori, because where people see money they charge ahead like a big bull and everything else gets forgotten."

Mr Maikuku said there were also practical concerns. "What about the water? We've hardly got any water coming down the river at the moment, and cattle can now march across it."

Laurence Best, generation manager for Clearwater Hydro, said dynamiting of the rock was justified. "This is a community project and we are pleased it can be progressed because it will provide a worthwhile asset for the community. We are grateful to the kaumatua and senior members of local iwi who have supported us."

The hydro project is being constructed to a tight deadline, with earthworks required to be complete by May 1, and commissioning due in August. Marokopa marae failed in an Environment Court appeal against Environment Waikato's decision to vary its resource consents for the Speedys Rd project. Under the original resource consent application for the 2MW power generation scheme in 2007, construction circumvented the rock. But under variations granted by EW, its removal was permitted.

- © Fairfax NZ News