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National | Ihumātao

"We will continue to prepare for a mass human occupation”

Hundreds of people turned out to show support for Save our Unique Landscape's (SOUL) occupation of land at Ihumatao in South Auckland. This comes ahead of an environmental court hearing with Fletcher Building who look to develop residential housing on the land and deliver what they say is much needed housing on this site in Auckland.

Ihumatao community band together to save their landscape.

Pania Newton of the group SOUL says, “We're here today to demonstrate to Fletchers, the council and the Government really that there's a strong community here who are opposing Fletcher Buildings development on ancestral whenua.”

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination released a statement last year saying the Government needs to re-evaluate special housing area 62 (SHA62) here at Ihumatao, and as well any future resource consents regarding the area need to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of Māori.

Pania Newton says, “See that has never occurred in this process and so for the United Nations to call on our Government to reevaluate this special housing area says a lot about the injustice that is present here.

Steve Evans, CEO of Residential and Land Development at Fletcher Building, says the land has been privately owned for more than 150 years, it has already been covered by a Treaty of Waitangi settlement, and Auckland Council has indicated it does not want it. Fletchers say they're working with iwi who are recognised as mana whenua. Newton disputes that statement.

“We've constantly gone back to Fletchers and asked them to produce that evidence of mana whenua support, you know we're not a post-Treaty settlement iwi, we are a confederation of many hapū, and so Fletchers haven't been able to supply that evidence,” says Newton.

Green Party Co-Leader Marama Davidson says she supports the cause and will try to pull the levers of Government.

“We the Government have the power to fix this, so that's the challenge I face,” says Davidson.

After 556 days of occupation, Pania Newton of SOUL says they're prepared to go the distance.

“Should we be unsuccessful with the Environment Court we will continue to prepare for a mass human occupation,” says Newton.

The environmental court hearing takes place in July.