BOP Times... Bullet Talk Again

US firm's Matakana homes plan draws strong response

29.12.2008
A Matakana Island elder has warned that only a bullet will stop him from entering land if it is subdivided into an exclusive hideaway for the rich.
Bob Rolleston has fired the first shots in an American-owned forestry company's plan to subdivide its 1920ha landholding on the forested side of Matakana Island.
If Blakely Pacific's application to Western Bay District Council succeeds, the 48-lot subdivision will allow the development of homes overlooking the ocean and harbour.
Mr Rolleston said the threatened break-up of the northern end of Matakana would deny Maori traditional access to a big chunk of the forest-covered island.
The 57-year-old kaumatua (elder) was born and bred on Matakana. He says he knows the old stories and most of the whakapapa of the island and its neighbouring Rangiwaea Island.
He said the forested side of Matakana was often used by Maori for pig hunting or as a way to reach the ocean beaches to fish and gather shellfish. This was permitted by Blakely Pacific.
But subdividing the land would completely change its character and was a radical shift from the status quo. Mr Rolleston said the new owners would talk legal ownership whereas he talked about whakapapa (genealogy) and Maori lore.
Mr Rolleston would take a hardline cultural position if the application succeeded, which could escalate into serious confrontation if others joined him.
``Nobody will ever stop me treading that land, and the only thing that will stop me is a bullet.
``It is my spiritual land, it is my bloodline, my connections, it is my heart _ it is everything that my body consumes.'

Mr Rolleston said his opinions reflected those of many of the island's Maori, whether they lived on Matakana or not. The majority were absolutely opposed to development.
The land proposed for subdivision was part of the area historically occupied by his hapu.
Mr Rolleston is a descendent of Ngai Tamawhareua, the hapu (subtribe) which is the kaitiaki (guardian) of the northern end of the island.
``Where they are planning to build is straight opposite Uretureture _ an ancient pa that belonged to our people.' Mr Rolleston is from Wikeepa whanau, an extended family directly descended from Tamawhareua hapu. Tamawhareua was the youngest son of Te Rangihouhiri and Pukai, the founder of Tauranga Moana's Ngaiterangi iwi (tribe). He is also a direct descendent of Hori Tupaea of Ngai Tauwhao hapu on Rangiwaea Island.

Mr Rolleston does not see ownership of the island in strictly legalistic terms, saying that Maori lore was as important as law.

``It is not about ownership, it is about whakapapa.' He said that for Maori families, whakapapa was the island in its entirety.

``For each and every one of us, the island is us and we are the island _ even those who go along with development of Matakana.

``We are the legacy left by our ancestors.'

He said the company's message from its meeting with hapu was that it would do what it had to do _ leaving hapu in the position of protecting their interests. Mr Rolleston has spent nearly all his adult life away from the island, but returns as often as possible.

Blakely Pacific managing director Phil Taylor said opposition to the plan was a concern in attracting buyers for the homes.

``It is one of the reasons we want to get them [the community] to support the application and not oppose us,' he said.

``If you have a disenfranchised community, who will want to live there?'

Mr Taylor said Blakely Pacific would not be ``firing any bullets' but the company needed to consider how to engage with Mr Rolleston and others.

``One of the issues is how you reconcile European-style freehold ownership with the concept of spiritual ownership. ``That is the challenging area and we need to work through it.'