Football goalposts installed on contested Māori Reserve land

A kaumātua of Puketapu hapū has blown the whistle on New Plymouth's council after new football goals sprouted on a contested land block.

By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter

The land, Mangati E, was taken under the Public Works Act in 1968 for a sewerage works but that use ended when a new wastewater plant was built elsewhere in the mid-80s.

Kaumātua Peter Moeahu began pushing four years ago for New Plymouth District Council to return the Māori Reserve land.

The 33-hectare block in the suburb of Bell Block is mostly pasture, coastal vegetation and sand dunes, with two artificial wetlands in disused oxidation ponds.

Last month the council’s Te Huinga Taumatua iwi committee agreed the land should go back to Puketapu, and asked staff to report on how to make that happen.

But now Moeahu has found new football goalposts set up where Mangati E forms a part of Hickford Park.

“I hadn't seen them there before and it struck me they might be trying to shift the goalposts on our talks.

“If the council doesn't want to give the land back then the best way is to get the community to use it more, and then say ‘oh well the community needs it’.”

New Plymouth District Council interim chief executive Steve Ruru told May’s Te Huinga Taumatua meeting the Public Works Act required the council to assess any public use and access needs that developed since the land was taken.

In 1978 a secondary use, for recreation, was authorised under the Act for part of Mangati E.

Moeahu said the chief executive had told him staff installed the goalposts without checking with senior management.

He said Ruru advised that a researcher was looking into the land block and the council expected to engage a lawyer to give an overview of issues the council might face.

A New Plymouth District Council spokesperson said the council planned to set up a liaison group with Puketapu hapū to deal with Mangati E, with timing and make-up yet to be confirmed.

They said there would be talks with Puketapu about any changes once historical research on the land was completed.

The Public Works Act says that land no longer needed for the purpose it was taken should be offered for sale back to the former owner.

It can be offered at below market price if the local authority considers that reasonable.

Meanwhile, the sportsgrounds on the Mangati block are no longer available for bookings, and the football goals will be removed in September.

Moeahu said he wouldn’t have objected if the hapū been consulted and reassured the sports field was temporary.

“We would have said yes by all means, go ahead – but we weren't consulted, it was a surprise to us.”

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