- Police arrested six people while putting out occupiers at Māhanga Bay
- The occupation began with the remnants of a 23-day anti-mandate occupation based on Parliament
- It shifted focus to save nearby Shelly Bay from development
- Niwa and the Crown own the land on which the occupiers live
Six people were arrested when police expelled Māhanga Bay protesters, who had been occupying land on the Miramar Peninsula for almost four months.
On May 24, police issued an infringement notice on behalf of NIWA and LINZ, who own the land, to the occupiers, which went into effect on the evening of May 25.
“Police this morning made fresh calls on about 15 occupants to leave the area,” a police spokesman said on Thursday.
The six arrests included four for trespassing, one for obstruction and one on a warrant. Court dates have yet to be confirmed.
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Police have escorted people back to the site to get their property back and contractors will be used to help clear the site once this process is complete, the spokesman said.
“Property will be stored safely outside the premises and arrangements will be made for owners to get it back. Once the site has been cleared, it will be returned to the owners. ”
Jerigo Rock Archer / Stuff
Only a handful of protesters remain at Māhanga Bay after a police operation on Thursday morning.
Police said they were working to connect the occupiers with Kahungungu Whānau services to provide support.
Roadblocks were in place at Kaubaai and Scorching Bay, and Wellington Free Ambulance staff were on standby early Thursday.
Richard MacLean, spokesman for Wellington City Council, said council staff were present and the council offered assistance in helping clean up the site once the group left.
Jerigo Rock Archer / Stuff
An occupier, with belongings in a shopping trolley, is escorted by the police from the premises.
The council’s community services staff have been visiting the occupiers for the past few weeks to provide welfare support, he said.
Major Andy Foster was “very pleased” that the occupation was finally resolved.
“I share the frustration I know was felt by locals and especially by the wonderful team dealing with the last rats to make Miramar predator free.”
Niwa spokeswoman Jessica Rowley said she was working with police, LINZ and the council to ensure the “safe and efficient” departure of the occupiers with their belongings.
“Now the occupiers have evacuated the premises, any remaining belongings, including vehicles, will be removed, and the premises will be secured from vehicle access,” the spokesman said.
Jerigo Rock Archer / Stuff
Wellington Free Ambulances on Assistance at Worser Bay on the Miramar Peninsula.
“All possessions will be fully documented and available for later collection from the collection contractor. Perishable or hazardous materials will be disposed of properly. ”
Paul Eagle, Rongotai MP, wanted to thank the local community, who were “extremely patient” over the months the group occupied the site.
“I had a lot, a lot of communication with people who were irritated by the situation. “Local people were scared, they saw what was happening in Parliament and did not want it to be repeated there,” he said.
Jerigo Rock Archer / Stuff
More than a dozen police officers are involved in the operation.
The “mana of the efforts” by Predator-Free Wellington, which worked for several years to eradicate pests from the peninsula, was “despised” by the group that camped there, Eagle said.
“There must be a dialogue with the community at some point to ensure that this can never happen again. It should never happen again. I was clear from the beginning that they were not welcome. ”
Jerigo Rock Archer / Stuff
Police blocked access to Māhanga Bay on Massey Road on Thursday morning.
The occupation began at the end of the 23-day parliamentary session in March and then turned into a protest over Māori land rights.
It has been plagued by concerns about anti-social behavior and unhygienic conditions and has risen to more than a hundred people at one point.
KEVIN STENT / Stuff
The self-described rangatira of the occupation, Te Pou Raukawakawa.
The Department of Conservation is investigating an incident at the bay after images of a seal being skinned were posted by a person in the group on social media late last month.
On April 19, council staff, aided by the police, demolished two temporary structures near the road at Māhanga Bay. About a dozen tents, a few vehicles and a large kitchen tent remained within the fenced area.
KEVIN STENT
The group moved into the Niwa-owned site in early March and an infringement notice was issued in May.
Te Pou Raukawakawa, the self-described rangatira of the occupation, said at the time that the group supported the actions of the council and the police to remove a fringe group from the camp, but they planned to remain on the site indefinitely.
“It could be a month. It could be five years, ”said Raukawakawa.
A website created by the occupying group offers people the chance to join a ‘red alert subscription’.
KEVIN STENT / Stuff
The kitchen inside the complex where the occupants have been living since March.
“There may be a time when we ‘have to keep the line’ against developers / police. If you want to be notified when we are in need, enter your details below, and we will send you a message when the pressure is on! ”
The website says the group, calling themselves Te Karu or Whenua, had plans to build a marae and a permaculture center on the site.
Raukawakawa could not be reached on Thursday.
Previously, he said the group were occupiers of Shelly Bay who were forced from the site.
However, a spokesman for Mau Whenua, the group responsible for the occupation of Shelly Bay, denied any ties to the group.
In April, Rowley said Niwa was negotiating to sell the land, and that sale required vacant ownership.