Hermit’s house on beach razed in ‘dawn raid’
Taranaki beachcomber Eric Brewer says he couldn’t care less that his home of 16 years has been torn down.
New Plymouth District Council staff in white boiler suits and police descended on Brewer’s illegal Tapuae Beach hut of driftwood and tarpaulin at 7.30am yesterday.
Mr Brewer was told by council to remove his dwelling from the land by 3pm on Wednesday last week but he didn’t leave.
Yesterday morning several council staff began to dismantle his house while three police officers stood by.
Mr Brewer sat quietly to the side as people pored over his belongings.
He said the council were trying to put him in a square.
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‘‘I’m still free they me,’’ he said.
He had expected the council to return after the 3pm deadline last Wednesday.
‘‘It was supposed to happen the other day; they’ve snuck in,’’ he said.
‘‘They’ve come to steal my house, but it’s not their land.
‘‘The land will still be here when we’re dead.’’
Mr Brewer’s nephew, Jimo Rangi, was getting ready to go to bed yesterday after finishing work at 6am when he heard the news.
He said the ‘‘dawn raid’’ came as no surprise.
‘‘We called Rangi said.
‘‘We said if they were going to do it they would wait until the commotion had died down.’’
week,’’ Mr
Mr Rangi was visibly upset by the scene.
‘‘It’s pretty horrible standing here watching someone’s house getting torn down,’’ he said.
‘‘Regardless of what’s gone on, this is his home.’’
When he arrived at the Tapuae Reserve car park a council officer told him he was too late, he said.
The council had made no contact with any of Mr Brewer’s family prior to the raid, he said.
‘‘It kind of sucks that no-one could get in touch with us.’’
Mr Brewer said he had no immediate plans but would consider moving to Wellington to live with his daughter and grandchildren.
The council said it removed Mr Brewer’s home because it was an illegal structure under the Local Government Act.