Ihumatao may have heritage list upgrade

AUCKLAND: Heritage New Zealand is considering giving the land at Ihumatao the highest level of heritage recognition, but that will not change the consent for the Fletcher housing development.

It is part of a proposal to raise the heritage status of the Atuataua Stonefields reserve on the New Zealand Heritage List to category 1 and to expand the borders to include the disputed land at Ihumatao.

The land at Ihumatao is at the centre of a long — over 100 days — occupation to stop a Fletcher housing development.

Heritage New Zealand’s review followed applications from three members of the public in 2017.

The assessment takes into account a wider range of criteria than was used to make Atuataua Stonefields a category 2 heritage site in 1991, which was based on old legislation.

‘‘Pleasingly, in 2014 the considerations for heritage became much broader and it allowed us to undertake a deeper review in effect of the information related to spiritual cultural traditional significance of this land which we think has warranted it being increased from a category 2 to a category 1 heritage place,’’ Heritage New Zealand chief executive Andrew Coleman said.

Among the reasons for the proposed change in heritage status were the high archaeological value of the area, showing the changes in preEuropean Maori horticulture to dairy farming in the late 19th century.

It also had high historic value as a site of early occupation by Maori, and strong significance linked to identity and belonging, especially for tangata whenua.

‘‘In the original listing, there are caving systems that exist in the current historic reserve,’’ Mr Coleman said.

Mr Coleman agreed the finding backed up protesters’ arguments about the significance of the site.

‘‘It is a deep, deep rich cultural and traditional significance to New Zealand and to Maori,’’ he told Morning Report.

Even if the heritage status did change, Mr Coleman said, it would not ‘‘alter the status of the special housing area or any existing resource consent on that land’’. — RNZ