A Tauranga woman has handed over a petition on the steps of Parliament protesting the potential location of the Erebus National Memorial on a Pa site in central Auckland.

Margaret Brough lost her father, Aubrey, in the 1979 Mount Erebus disaster.

The petition calls on the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage to stop planned construction of the Erebus National Memorial and protect the whenua that is home to one of New Zealand's largest urban Pohutukawa.

The memorial aims to pay tribute to the 237 passengers and 20 crew who were killed when an Air New Zealand flight crashed into Mount Erebus in Antarctica in 1979.

But the planned location of Dove Myer Robinson Park in Parnell is not considered pertinent by those protesting.

Margaret handed over the petition, signed by more than 11,500 people including Erebus families, to MP Shanan Halbert, chair of the Petitions Select Committee.

A number of other MP's from across the house met with Margaret.

'My observation is that the majority of Erebus families are against this location,” says Margaret.

'The selection is not in alignment with our wishes. Back in 2018 when the Prime Minister first told us, we were not supportive and made it well known.”

'The whole approach is simply wrong. It faces the wrong way, is a busy picnic park across from the noisy Ports of Auckland, and not a space of solemnity necessary for a National Memorial of this nature.”

Members of the grassroots community group, Protect Mataharehare also travelled to Parliament to support Margaret.

For 80 days members have occupied the Pa site in a peaceful sit-in led by Dame Naida Glavish.

Dame Naida has publicly called out the consent process believing it lacked integrity from the start due to their being no public consultation.

'This site was pre-determined by Wellington which went against its own independent advisors, Boffa Miskell, who clearly established that the site was not suitable,” Dame Naida says.

'Despite that advice, the Ministry proceeded to push it through Auckland Council where it was deemed to be non-notified. This led to Pouhere Taonga not being included in the decision-making process.

'So, the Maori cultural and heritage assessment of the site was totally deficient despite it being a known as a Pa site. For this to happen in 2021 and orchestrated by the Ministry that was set up to protect it, is completely gobsmacking.”

Kaumatua Tautoko Witika, Marsh Grey and Steve Phillips of Ngati Whatua Orakei invite the Prime Minister to reconsider the location of the memorial in the spirit of Te Tiriti. A Rāhui was laid on the land by Kaumatua, Tautoko Witika with the full support of the Kaumatua of Orakei marae.

'As a family, we were not asked for our input when the memorial was being considered and, apart from the fact that so many years have passed, we are not in favour of the proposed site in Dove Myer Robinson Park in Parnell,” says Gaynor Gallagher, who lost her parents and their first grandson in the tragedy.

'The Ministry's selection of this site is inappropriate because it has no particular connection with the accident.”

Erebus family member, Trevor Mitchell says he is horrified that this site has been selected.

'I believe the site is most inappropriate. It will destroy a treasured haven.”

Another family member Lance O'Conner, who lost his father and uncle on the flight, says he has been to the Air New Zealand and Government public meetings, and believes 'the public memorial should be rethought”.