Repair works forge ahead

An iwi representing Kaiko¯ura wha¯ nau says protesters occupying a coastal road through sacred sites are hindering progress towards a common goal.

About eight protesters were at Kiwa Rd, north of Kaiko¯ ura, on Wednesday morning, as trucks prepared to repair and seal a section which runs over historic urupa¯ (burial grounds).

Protesters thought road works would not begin until a hui about the road’s future took place. The hui between wha¯nau of Mangamaunu was planned for March 21 but was postponed due to coronavirus.

Te Ru¯nanga o Kaiko¯ura chairwoman Hariata Kahu said the hui about the future of the road would still take place but the wider wha¯nau supported the repairs to Kiwa Rd as an interim measure.

The ru¯ nanga shared the protesters’ vision of closing Kiwa Rd and reopening of Station Rd, she said.

‘‘The occupiers and us are saying the same thing, we’re just using different means of doing it,’’ Kahu said.

‘‘Ideally we need the people to put their trust in the ru¯ nanga and let the process happen. The occupation is hindering that process.’’

The decision for repair works had been approved by Kiwa Rd residents, Nga¯ Uri O¯ Mangamaunu (descendants of Mangamaunu) and land trustees, which informed iwi sign off, she said.

‘‘Te Ru¯ nanga O Kaiko¯ ura have always been guided by the people,’’ Kahu said.

The ‘‘tidy up’’ works which began on June 2, included resealing and line markings. Bad weather yesterday meant the sealing had been postponed until next week.

It was a significantly smaller project than the original NCTIR plans.

Significant ‘‘safety upgrades’’ planned for the intersection of State Highway 1 and Kiwa Rd as part of the post-earthquake repairs were abandoned, after tangata whenua set up occupation and barricaded the road in February.

The ru¯ nanga also did not support the safety upgrades.

Rosie Poharama-hepi, who was protesting the works at Kiwa Rd this week, said it was ‘‘not right’’ that the sealing was going ahead before the planned hui.

‘‘It’s not right, it’s not a dictatorship guys, it’s democracy, we’re supposed to hui,’’ Poharama-hepi said.

‘‘Even though we’ve gone through a pandemic, we should still make time for our hui, invite the beneficiaries, and then we can make our decision,’’ she said in a video posted to social media.

Sharon Rayner, who has led

Occupation O¯ Mangamaunu, said the agreed upon ‘‘tidy up’’ works included ‘‘getting a wheelbarrow and filling in some potholes’’ and could have been done without tar seal.

‘‘Every time we think the battle is over, and that everything is fine, they keep coming back.

Rayner questioned whether the ru¯ nanga had consulted without bias.

‘‘If they felt good that everyone would say they wanted that road tarsealed, they would have gone ahead with the hui.

‘‘As individuals united, we stand to protect our urupa¯ , whenua, ancestors, wairua and taonga from any further disrespect and desecration.’’

The protesters had been delivered a letter signed by Kaiko¯ura Mayor Craig Mackle and Kahu which was addressed to an NCTIR official, asking for the repairs to go ahead while acknowledging the significance of the site.

The letter dated May 21 asked NCTIR to ‘‘re-consider their decision to forfeit the works to reinstate the road back to its preearthquake status’’ to allow all who use the road to do so safely.

A NCTIR spokeswoman said the road had been damaged by trucks involved in the rebuild.

Mackle said the repair works were ‘‘always supposed to be done’’.

‘‘It’s righting what’s been damaged. It’s taking care of what’s already there.’’

They couldn’t leave the road in a state of disrepair until its future was sorted out, he said.

‘‘That’s not fair on the ratepayers down there, it’s not fair on the community.