Don’t toy with Darraghs Rd reserve

Re: Tauranga city Council's decision to keep the reserve status on Darraghs Rd reserve.
What gives with this land? Plunket has been operating there since 1969 and for better or
worse council resolved in 2015 to revoke the reserve designation and sell the land to Plunket.

Notice was given to Maori interests at that time then 18 months elapsed for various reasons, when a further letter sent to Maori interests and only then the objections surfaced.

The story floated to Tauranga city Council was that Ngai Tamarawaho - a hapu/subtribe/division/appendage of NgatiRanginui - had lost most of its lands following confiscations in mid-1865 because of tribal uprisings/rebellion.

It is one thing to retain reserve land but it is another thing again for council to contemplate toying with already concluded Crown settlements.

As for land confiscations, apparently no evidence was provided and nothing reads right about this try on. Ngai Tamarawaho did not even bother to contact TCC until reminded. This land never appeared in the list of grievances in the Sims Report 1928 and anyway 83 per cent of Tauranga land confiscated was subsequently returned or purchased. Current Waitangi settlements have not dealt with it and clincher is the Tauranga Moana Maori Trust Board Act 1981 whereby $250,000 was paid to Tauranga tribes in full and final settlement of all compensation claims relating to confiscations.

R Paterson, Mount Maunganui.

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