Ihumatao: Hikoi begins to PM's office

A petition will be delivered to the Prime Minister's office in Mt Albert. Photo: RNZ
A petition will be delivered to the Prime Minister's office in Mt Albert. Photo: RNZ
About 150 people are taking part in a hīkoi to the Prime Minister's electorate office in Auckland today over Ihumātao, asking her to visit the site.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo: Getty Images
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo: Getty Images
They will deliver a petition, signed by more than 22,000 people, urging Jacinda Ardern to travel to Ihumātao to experience the whenua - the land - herself.

Ihumātao, believed to be one of the first places where Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau settled, farmed and thrived, has been designated to make way for 480 new homes in a city crippled by a housing crisis.

But the housing development has been protested by the SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) group who say the land has historical, cultural and archaeological significance and should be left an open space or returned to mana whenua.

The petition says without a personal visit they don't think Ms Ardern has a true sense of why the land matters so much and what's at stake if it is lost.

People have been occupying the whenua for 30 days, since an eviction notice was served.

On the Facebook event, more than 300 people have said they're going to the hīkoi - they're due to leave Ihumātao about 8am this morning to hand deliver the petition to her electorate office in Mount Albert this afternoon.

Buses will take people part of the way.

Ms Ardern would not be at the Mount Albert office to receive the petition today but said she knows the issues and won't rule out visiting  Ihumātao in future.

 
 
 

Comments

where is the PM

It's good you agree with the call for the PM to meet the gathering.