Ihumātao: Fletcher Building denies backing down on disputed land

Tuesday, 21 January 2020

After a rough year, Fletcher Building held their annual shareholders meeting while Ihumātao protesters gathered outside.

The leader of a protest against a controversial housing development believes a decision on its future is imminent, but the construction company is denying it is leaving the site.

It comes just days before the six-month anniversary of an eviction notice being served to peaceful protesters occupying the land at Ihumātao, south Auckland.

On July 23, members of Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) were asked to leave Ihumātao after illegally occupying the land in Māngere for the last three years.

SOUL spokeswoman and protest leader Pania Newton.

SOUL members refused, and it sparked a mass occupation of the land with members of the public coming from all over the country in support.

**READ MORE:

Fletcher Building was seen removing property from Ihumātao on Tuesday.

* Ihumātao: Māori King says mana whenua want land back

* Ihumātao protest: meet the 'protectors' still occupying the site

Protesters gather at Ihumātao before setting off on a hikoi to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Mt Albert electorate office.

* Ihumātao protest: Former landowner the Wallace family speaks out against stand-off**

Ihumātao 'protector' Matira Madden-Hulena says the occupation has changed her as a person.

On Tuesday, SOUL spokeswoman Pania Newton said Fletcher Building representatives had informed the protesters that they would be leaving the site.

Newton said this news meant a possible resolution is on the cards.

'They're packing up all their fences and have removed the majority of their property,' Newton said.

But Fletchers said it was simply making some changes to its traffic management plan in response to reduced activity at the site.

'This includes removing some fencing and opening the road to the maunga,' a spokeswoman said.

'Fletcher Building's residential development at Ihumātao continues to be on hold at the request of the prime minister.

'Discussions with all parties on the future of the site are progressing.'

A spokeswoman for Finance Minister Grant Robertson said talks were 'progressing towards a resolution' for Ihumātao, but there was 'no announcement to make at this time'.

In September, mana whenua reached a unified position on the future of Ihumātao and wanted the land back, according to the Māori King.

Earlier, reports Tainui was set to buy the land at Ihumātao and stop protests was labelled 'pure speculation' by the groups involved.

In October, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised to visit Ihumātao after more than 300 protesters took part in a hikoi from the land in south Auckland to her electorate office in Mt Albert.

The group delivered an invitation to Ardern with more than 26,000 signatures for her to visit them at the site.

Ardern first spoke out about the protests three days after they began, saying no work would take place at the site until a solution was found.

Protesters had called on Ardern to resolve the situation but she had earlier said it would be inappropriate for the Government to intervene as the local iwi, Te Kawerau ā Maki, supported the development.

Fletcher bought the land off private owners the Wallace family in 2016.

Colonial troops forced Māori from the land during the 19th century Waikato Invasion: a campaign to stamp out the Māori King movement and clear lands for European settlement.