An iwi group protesting an oil company's plans in Taranaki say the company has refused to talk to them while they block access to the site.
About 25 protesters from Otaraua hapu will tonight spend a third night blocking the well side entrance at the Tikorangi pa site near Waitara, in an attempt to stop a new pipeline to the Te Kowhai gas field.
The site was sacred, with great significance and cultural relevance, and Greymouth Petroleum had only recently advised the hapu of their intent, say protesters.
Talks were expected to continue today between the groups but the hapu was told this morning Greymouth Petroleum had no interest in talking until the protesters moved away from the gates, Otaraua hapu spokesman David Doorbar told NZPA.
Greymouth Petroleum was also not going to send a letter confirming they would finish the work, he said.
"We have some really heavy trust issues with this company. After all we would love to talk to them.
"We are sitting on their gate waiting for them to talk to us. They don't want to talk to us because we are at their gate."
Mr Doorbar said the hapu would wait for as long as it took and the protesters would remain in place until they had an agreement in writing.
"I don't know if you would call it a protest. We will continue to wait. We wanted their attention. We are doing it to protect our waahi tapu.
"We have a whole lot of reasons for doing it. For all these reasons we would need to talk to the company. It's just so difficult when they don't want to talk us."
But the site had not been included in a list of waahi tapu sites, which meant it was not protected under the district plan, New Plymouth District Council consents manager Ralph Broad told the Taranaki Daily News.
"They don't need a resource consent, there's nothing legal we can do," he said.
Maori Affairs minister Pita Sharples said the company should have consulted with the hapu, despite not being legally required to.
Auckland-based Greymouth Petroleum chief executive Mark Dunphy could not be reached for comment.
