The group leading the Ihumātao protest say they want written confirmation from the Prime Minister that construction will not be allowed on the land, and called for the government to remove the police presence.

The fight to protect the 32 hectare land block in South Auckland from a new housing development drew several thousand protesters over the weekend, after an eviction notice was served on July 23 to some of those who had been occupying the land in peaceful protest.

Te Kawerau a Maki - the iwi considered mana whenua at Ihumatao - remains divided on the issue, with its mandated iwi group known as Te Kawerau Iwi Tribal Authority supporting the development along with a deal with Fletcher Building to have 8 hectares of land returned to them.

After previously saying the government would not intervene, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed on Friday, 26 July that no building would take place at Ihumatao while a solution was being sought.

Qiane Matata-Sipu, a mana whenua representative from the Save Our Unique Landscape group or SOUL says whanau voted at a meeting last night to remain on the whenua until the prime minister sent them a letter confirming the promise she made last week - that there would be no construction for a planned housing development until the dispute is resolved.

"We are waiting for this letter, this confirmation in writing. We are still deciding to hold the whenua, we are still here, we are still inviting people to come and stand with us. Tautoko, stand in solidarity, be active kaitiaki here on our whenua."

Qiane says there were hui at the marae every night to discuss how they will move forward.

The number of occupants on site has dropped to fewer than 1000 after peaking over the weekend. However, about 80 tents are still there, including a number of families camping.

SOUL spokesperson Pania Newton told a media stand up they were also asking for the police and contractors to leave the land.

"We are asking them to leave the land so that we are able to re-enter the whenua and exercise our kaitiakitanga and guardianship over the land."

Another representative, Haki Wilson, made a formal invitation to the Prime Minister.

"This is an invitation to our Prime minister to come to the land to experience what we are experiencing and to talk to her people and engage with those here."

The Prime Minister is out of the country in Tokelau for the next 3 days.

Meanwhile, a complaint with police will be laid over the Prime Minister's "interference" in the Ihumatao dispute. David Rankin, who describes himself as a senior member of Te Kawerau a Maki, says he would lodge a complaint with police that the Prime Minister used her position to interfere in a legal transaction and as a consequence would deprive the iwi of dozens of homes which Fletchers had contracted to provide to the mana whenua.

-RNZ