Maori Party Candidate Arrested at Hamilton Land Protest, Council Claims Public Stunt

Maori Party Hauraki-Waikato candidate Donna Pokere-Phillips was arrested as she tried to prevent contractors from drilling holes in council-owned land destined for a major highway project in south Hamilton.

But the Hamilton City Council, which owns the land and is building the road, says the property is not part of an occupation and that it was a publicity stunt.

The small group of protesters, who have been parked in the dirt outside Shaw Bird Park for months, remained standing and lying on the ground until police officers walked them or carried them to police cars after refuse to go out this morning.

One of the four protesters arrested for raid included Maori Hauraki-Waikato Party candidate Donna Pokere-Phillips, who livestreamed the event on her Facebook page.

In the video, Pokere-Phillips can be heard saying that she refuses to leave after she was warned that she would be overrun.

“I guess it’s just me and this damn machine, so they’re going to have to get me out like this.”

Another protester, dressed in pink, can be seen being led into a waiting police car with officers holding her hands and feet after she lay on the ground behind a truck.

Pokere-Phillips said on the livestream that it was about protecting his whenua and whakapapa and that the protesters were upset that the road was going near a PA site.

The survey work was being carried out on land owned by the city council and not in the 50 ha bird park owned by Murray and Margaret Shaw, who refuse to sell 1.9 ha to the city council. The matter is still in dispute.

Hamilton City Council Strategic Development Manager Andrew Parsons said he believed today’s protest was staged for a “media opportunity” on Council-owned land.

He said contractors were preparing for soil tests on a city hall property when some people entered the work area without authorization, and police took action when they refused to leave.

“We are aware of a small group of people who claim to represent mana whenua at Peacocke. We are guided by authorized local iwi representatives, who inform us that these statements are invalid.”

The Hamilton City Council worked in partnership with a Tangata Whenua Task Force established to represent the interests of mana whenua and Waikato-Tainui, he said.

The designation of the southern links, including the east-west highway, was developed through a full public consultation confirmed by independent commissioners in 2014.

The council may acquire the land under the Public Works Act to build the main east-west highway as part of the Southern Links network to support residential growth in the area.

A police spokesman confirmed that police were present on Hall Rd at around 7:30 a.m., where a small number of people had gathered.

The people were then moved onto private property, and after attempts to move the people failed, four people were arrested for trespassing.

“The four people have been warned and formally released. They have also been officially invaded of the property.”

THaWK (Te Haa o te Whenua or Kirikiriroa) President Sonny Karena, whose iwi group represents five hapus within the city limits, said that while there were three PA sites within the wider Peacocke development area , their concerns around them had been mitigated and those sites were being protected.

He said the protesters claimed to be mana whenua but “did not have the correct information.”

Pokere-Phillips posted a video a few hours after being arrested to tell people that she had been released and that she was “fine.” She said that she had participated in several protests, but that it was the first time she had been arrested.

“I’m fine and the campaign continues. I received a free lunch and the campaign continues.”