Ihum¯atao inspiration leads to threat of Shelly Bay occupation
A group opposing Ma¯ ori land sales at Shelly Bay have confirmed they are willing to occupy the land and talks of a hikoi south from Taranaki are afoot.
The confirmation, sparked by the Ihuma¯ tao occupation, is yet another blow for the $500m Wellington development which has a High Court case pending and caveats over much of the land.
Sydney Mepham, from Mau Whenua – a group of Taranaki Whanui members opposed to the sale of Ma¯ori land at Shelly Bay – confirmed the group was considering an occupation of the harbourside site.
They had also been approached by a group of Taranaki iwi keen to have a motorised hikoi to Wellington to help out, he said.
The group would likely let legal avenues play out before looking at occupation and would ideally let the Ihuma¯ tao protest resolve before any action was taken.
But if Mau Whenua members elected to go ahead sooner, they would, Mepham explained.
‘‘It’s a very real possibility. We know a number of our people say we need to occupy.’’
A statement from Mau Whenua drew parallels between Ihuma¯tao and Shelly Bay.
‘‘The controversial Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas (HAASHA) legislation has played a significant role in triggering conflicts, legal action and direct action in both places,’’ it said.
‘‘This has led to divisions involving multiple parties, including local councils, developers, iwi groups, local communities and environmentalists,’’ it said.
The Shelly Bay land, on the western side of the Miramar peninsula, has long been scheduled for a $500 million development led by Wellington developer Ian Cassels.
Cassels said he supported the group’s right to protect particular land categories but Shelly Bay was bought for development and resale.
Since Cassels signed on, virtually every step has been beset by problems and last year the Court of Appeal chucked out the non-notified consent issued by Wellington City Council, under the fast-tracked special housing legislation.
It is currently being considered by independent commissioners.
In July, Mau Whenua filed High Court papers hoping to overturn a previous sale of three parcels of Taranaki Whanui land at Shelly Bay, arguing the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust (PNBST) sold it without iwi members’ consent. PNBST owned the land on behalf of iwi Taranaki Whanui.
Mau Whenua said they had also put a caveat over the sale of any further land there.
Then Sarah Crawford, a descendant of James Coutts Crawford, who owned the land there till it was acquired by the Crown in 1886 filed her own caveat over further sales there.
Those were over the sale of council land at the site. That, alongside the caveats on Ma¯ori land there, mean virtually all the land is tied up in caveats, while the resource consent is yet to be decided.
Some Wellington City councillors have also claimed that council staff misled them, probably mistakenly, when they agreed to sell and lease council land there.
PNBST chief executive Wayne Mulligan would not comment on the occupation threat.