Auckland councillor slams 'culturally ignorant' protest over Mt Albert/Ōwairaka trees

Friday, 15 November 2019

The Tūpuna Maunga Authority is rejecting claims Ōwairaka-Mt Albert in Auckland will be clear-felled.

A protest over the removal of non-native trees on Mt Albert/Ōwairaka is rooted in cultural ignorance, an Auckland politician says.

Several Mt Albert locals, referring to themselves as 'Honour the Maunga', have occupied the peak since Monday in a bid to save 345 trees from being cut down.

The Tūpuna Maunga Authority, which manages the maunga on behalf of Auckland Council and iwi, plans to plant 13,000 native trees in their place.

Protesters are blocking entry to Ōwairaka in a bid to save 345 trees.

The protesters have said there was inadequate public consultation on the plan.

* Protesters vow to occupy Auckland's Ōwairaka/Mt Albert 24/7 to block removal of trees

* Ihumātao: Police racially abused and spat at by protesters, top officer won't rule out action**

Auckland councillor Efeso Collins is disappointed by the ‘cultural ignorance’ of the protesters, as Ōwairaka is one of 14 ancestral peaks considered sacred to Māori.

South Auckland councillor Efeso Collins said he was disappointed by the protest.

Anna Radford from Honour the Maunga explains why protestors are blocking the removal of trees from Mt Albert/Ōwairaka. (Video first published November 2019.)

“The maunga is sacred in Māori culture, it has significant cultural, spiritual and historical value,” he said.

“The fact that these people are standing outside and making all sorts of wild claims is really disappointing. It’s evidence of the cultural ignorance that still exists today.”

Ōwairaka is one of 14 ancestral mountains the authority was given control over in 2014, in an effort to correct damages under the Treaty of Waitangi.

Non-native trees and infrastructure are being removed due to the spiritual and cultural significance of the sites to Māori.

Honour the Maunga leader Anna Radford said she acknowledged Māori guardianship of the mountain and 'what's happened in history'.

'But all communities should be able to access the mountain. It's not just about one party or one culture being expressed,' she said.

Efeso said the lack of police presence at Ōwairaka, compared to the dozens deployed during the Ihumātao occupation by largely Māori protesters, was evidence of further “cultural ignorance”.

“We’ve had Ihumātao where the police have been hanging around for ages. But now this protest is going on at Ōwairaka, with people blocking entrances, and not one single police officer is there,” he said.

“The cultural ignorance doesn’t just extend to what these people are doing in protesting, but to the fact that the police don’t see any issue with these people blocking entrances.”

Protesters illegally occupied Ihumātao earlier this year to prevent Fletcher Building from constructing a social housing development near a sacred Māori site.

Police inspector George Fanamanu said the matter was for the authority, iwi and community to resolve.

“As with any large gathering or protest, police will respond to ensure the safety of those in attendance if required,” he said.

“These matters are all treated on a case by case basis.”

Fanamanu said other than briefly attending the site on Wednesday morning at the request of the Tupuna Maunga Authority to ensure public safety, police have had no other involvement.