H¯ıkoi to clean up the Hokianga
Hokianga residents upset about the water quality in their harbour have used a Waitangi Day protest to draw national attention to the issue.
Led by Green Party candidate Godfrey Rudolph, who has whakapapa to the Hokianga, the marchers chanted “Hokianga no paru!” (pollution) and carried placards with slogans such as “Keep kaka out of our moana”.
The Far North District Council says it’s not correct to say it is not doing anything about the sewage issues and plenty of work is being carried out on the four treatment plants discharging into the harbour.
The march followed the traditional h¯ıkoi route from Te Tii Marae up Tau Henare Dr to the Treaty Grounds’ top entrance, circled the flagpole — prompting grumbles from a few people who had come to watch the Navy band perform — and ended at Te Whare Ru¯nanga, the carved meeting house.
Most of the 100 or so marchers had travelled from the Hokianga. They were joined by half a dozen Green MPs, including Marama Davidson, who also has roots in the Hokianga and was the main speaker.
Jessie McVeagh, of the environmental group Te Mauri o Te Wai, said the aim was to draw national attention to the state of the harbour.
“Our harbour is being polluted from lots of sources, but also from human waste. We’ve come to Waitangi because it is a Treaty issue —