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NZ Herald
4 days ago
- NZ Herald
Landowners back plans to block Cape Palliser access due to ‘shocking' vandalism
People including four-wheel drivers, quad bikers and campers use the road, along with surfers and hikers. The hapū representing some owners of the land said the whenua is deeply scarred and access needs to be closed indefinitely to allow it to heal. Ngāti Hinewaka spokesman Haami Te Whaiti told Checkpoint the land owners feel angry and sad about the 'shocking' range of damage done to the land. 'We've put up with this situation for a very, very long time. We've tolerated vehicles running through. We've never tried to stop them. We always discussed this with the council and we've obeyed the law. We haven't prevented anybody from driving through there,' he said. Te Whaiti said the number of vehicles going to the Cape Palliser coast has significantly increased over the past five to 10 years. 'There's been a number of four-wheel drivers going there just to use it as a playground... to do wheelies and all sorts of things that they do to create a whole lot of ruts,' he said. Te Whaiti said the land was significantly damaged by a large fire in the 1990s and these activities threaten to undermine the hapū's attempts to regenerate the land. 'It's terrible and we pride ourselves on having exercised our kaitiakitanga after the fire, we fenced off a whole area so that the land would revegetate. So, anything about pristine is what we've done ourselves to bring it back to that,' he said. 'But it's not pristine if it's going to have all these ruts and vehicle evidence using it... as a track for their enjoyment.' South Wairarapa District Council said it has engaged with Ngāti Hinewaka and agreed the 'continued vandalism, disrespect to the land and its owners and the poor social behaviours displayed are not acceptable'. The council said the proposed bylaw is being developed using powers under the Local Government and Land Transport Acts but acknowledges that restricting walking access to the paper road would not be legally enforceable. However, that right of access doesn't extend to the adjoining private land, and council is responding to issues raised by the hapū around ongoing damage to land bordering the paper road. It is accepting feedback on the proposal until August 19, which will then be reviewed before a final decision is made. – RNZ
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Hapu says Cape Palliser path needs to be closed
The South Wairarapa District Council wants to block use of an unformed paper road between the Cape Palliser light house and several Maori owned blocks of land through to the Waitutumu stream because of vandalism and damage to sensitive areas. People, including four wheel driver, use the road, along with surfer and hikers. The hapu representing some owners of the land have said the whenua is deeply scarred and access needs to be closed indefinitely to allow it to heal. Spokesperson for Ngati Hine-waka Hapu, Haami Te Whaiti spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
