A petition has been launched calling on the Government to uphold the Treaty settlement with Te Kawerau a Maki and for police to evict protesters at Ihumatao, in Auckland, where work on a new housing subdivision has been blocked.

The Ihumatao iwi, Te Kawerau a Maki, agreed in 2015 to a full and final settlement of all their grievances and received financial redress of $6.5 million, plus forestry, forestry rentals and more.

But when Fletchers bought private land in the area and announced plans to build 480 homes, a member of that iwi (against the will of her elders) started a land occupation there demanding that the Government buy the land to keep it as is.

If the Government caves in to protesters and buys the land, this will open the floodgates to similar protests, trash Treaty settlements, and erode private property rights, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Casey Costello said today.

Police should enforce the eviction notices and the Government should regard the Treaty settlement with Te Kawerau a Maki as truly full and final as the text of the deed says, Ms Costello said.

Since Fletchers has agreed to give 40 houses plus a portion of the land to Te Kawerau a Maki, the protest by an iwi member is disadvantaging her iwi, she said.

Our petition asks the police to uphold the rights of the landowner by evicting the protesters, Ms Costello said.

It also asks the Government to regard the treaty settlement as full and final to allow both Te Kawerau a Maki and Fletchers to proceed with their lawful business, she said.

The petition may be viewed at http://chng.it/xPN6P55k