Dome Valley landfill: Rāhui placed despite lack of iwi support
Saturday, 15 June 2019
A rāhui has been placed over a site proposed for a large landfill, despite conflict between the landfill's opponents and the local iwi.
Ngāti Whātua representatives, along with members of the Fight the Tip Committee, gathered in the Dome Valley to place an aukati rāhui (political rāhui) over the proposed Auckland Regional Landfill site at 6.30am on Saturday.
The committee was established in October 2018 following Waste Management's proposal to build the new tip to replace the Redvale Landfill, which was expected to reach capacity between 2026 and 2028.
About 150 people huddled around two fire pits, surrounded by candles and signage opposing the landfill, for the ceremony.
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It opened with a karakia, in acknowledgement of Mother Earth, and the blowing of a pūtātara, or conch shell trumpet.
After Māori prayers and a waiata, Richard Nahi of Ngāti Whātua placed two large stones, taken from the Hoteo River, in the middle of the gathering.
Attendees were invited to touch the stones before they were carried back to the Hoteo River and taken into the water, followed by a haka on the river bed.
Fight The Tip committee member Michelle Carmichael was pleased with the rāhui's turnout.
'There are people willing to stand behind this,' she said.
Regarding pushback from the area's iwi, Ngati Manuhiri, over the rāhui, Mikaera Miru, Māori liaison for the committee, said he was disappointed those who spoke of their opposition to media had not shown up to the rāhui, despite invitation.
'They're disconnected to their own people.
'We had every right to put that rāhui down there because we are whakapapa of Ngati Manuhiri.'
He said the rāhui was 'never about mana-crunching'.
Ngati Manuhiri Settlement Trust's chairman Mook Hohneck previously told Stuff any rāhui placed over the land without Ngati Manuhiri co-operation would be 'irrelevant' under Māori customary law.
'We won't accept it any shape or form: from a cultural perspective, we are the only ones with the mana to impose a rāhui,' he said.
A rāhui is a requested ban on activity, for a specific purpose. In the Dome Valley case, the aim is to protect waterways from being poisoned by waste from the landfill.
The previous Sunday, about 200 people voted unanimously in favour of the rāhui at a hui at the Wellsford Community Hall.
It will be Auckland Council and Waste Management's call as to whether they acknowledge the rāhui.