Tainui urged to save marae

MARK TAYLOR/Waikato Times

STANDING FIRM: Members of Rangimarie Te Horanganui Marae demonstrate against Waikato-Tainui's decision to demolish the marae.

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Tainui has been issued a challenge from a group refusing to leave a Hamilton marae set to be bulldozed for development – "put people before profit".

Members of Rangimarie Te Horanganui Marae, on the corner of Ohaupo and Collins Rds in Melville, have been in "lockdown" since 5pm on Monday in protest at a notice they received from Waikato-Tainui asking them to leave the site by Tuesday.

They say they will not leave – even if Tainui turns up with bulldozers to forcibly remove them.

However, a Waikato-Tainui spokesman said they had no intention of forcibly removing anyone.

The Hamilton City Council has also confirmed that it had not yet received an application for demolition, which would be required before any buildings could be knocked down.

Tainui owns the $1.6 million block of land where the marae and kohanga reo are sited. The Waikato-Tainui spokesman said the protest was simply a last-ditch attempt by a group which had exhausted every legal avenue to stay on site.

"...instead of accepting the right of this tribe to decide how it uses its property, a small group are now turning to sensational and illegal measures," the spokesman said.

"They are now, in effect, trespassing."

Tainui's tribal parliament, Te Kauhanganui, would now assess what legal options they had to get the group to leave the site.

He would not go into detail about what was planned for the site, but said "you can be sure that whatever is planned for the site will be in the best interests of this tribe".

The Waikato Times understands a supermarket or building to house social services are among options being considered.

Protesters have hung several signs on the fence surrounding the marae calling on Tainui to reconsider its decision to evict them.

"[Tainui chairman] Tuku Morgan, help us build a marae, not a super city", says one sign.

Another says "Land for people, not for profit".

Marae chairman Tutu Ormsby said the marae was very important for not only Waikato Maori, but Maori people.

"We believe in the Kingitanga, but the Kingitanga is for people, not for profit."

Maori from outside the district, in Hamilton to visit sick or injured whanau in Waikato Hospital, often stayed at the marae.

Those people would have nowhere to go if the marae was demolished, Mr Ormsby said.

He was disappointed the situation had come to this, but said someone had to stand up to Tainui.

The late Sir Robert Mahuta identified the land in 2000 for the sole purpose of establishing a marae.

"Some may say I'm throwing mud [at Tainui] – but the mud will stick."

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