Fletcher Building to close road, blocking home of protesters at Ihumātao

Friday, 3 May 2019

For the past three years, around a dozen people have established a 'kaitiaki village' at Ihumātao in protest to a planned housing development.

Fletcher Building plans to take the first step in developing land at Māngere's Ihumātao next week by shutting down a road where protesters are living.

The housing giant has plans to build a 480-lot housing estate on the land which has led to over three years of conflict between Fletcher Building and the group Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL).

Fletcher building spokeswoman Marie Winfield said that from May 6 the company had consent to close Ihumātao Quarry Rd where around a dozen protesters were living.

'Blocking the road will allow work to begin on the land that we own,' Winfield said.

**READ MORE:

SOUL leader Pania Newton is currently living at Ihumātao with no electricity.

* Power cut to protesters Ihumātao

* South Auckland land protester Pania Newton in the fight of her life

Newton sitting in her caravan parked on the side of the road.

* Protesters hit the street in Ihumatao SHA fight**

'Public notices have been issued and all approvals granted - exact details are still being worked out, however our plan is to begin development soon.'

Fletcher Building plan to build 480 houses at Ihumātao in south Auckland.

Two weeks ago Fletcher Building cut the power to the farmhouse protesters were illegally occupying in a bid to convince them to leave, but the protesters, who claim the land is a sacred Māori site that should be preserved for future generations, have vowed to continue their action.

Earlier this week SOUL leader Pania Newton, who was living on the site, said Fletcher Building was trying to 'force them out'.

A woman wearing a tino rangatiratanga flag sings a protest song into a smart phone as she live streams the opening of a land occupancy at Ihumātao.

'We're just waiting to see what will happen.'

SOUL had been campaigning to stop the development and has so far managed to push it back, Newton said.

'Prior to them [Fletcher Building] purchasing the land I told them there would be a community backlash but they didn't listen to me.

'We want to keep this land as a public space for the people.'

The situation had left Newton, one of the dozen or so people who lives on the land, feeling 'frustrated' but she said the group had no plans to leave the site.

'It's very unjust but we're not going anywhere and our campaign continues to grow.'

SOUL has been using the farmhouse as its main campaign hub as well as storing all its information for the guided tours they take in the area.

Newton said Fletcher had tried to demolish the house in 2017 and the group were evicted that same year. But members have refused to leave.

When the road is blocked off Newton said there would be plans for a bigger occupation to ensure the land would not be taken and the group had been practicing ways of keeping protest peaceful.

'The campaign continues to grow and we're not going anywhere - we're doing everything we can to avoid a violent confrontation, we don't want it to come to that.'