Investigations by the Ōwairaka / Mt Albert tree protection community group have uncovered a number of concerning untruths in statements made by Tūpuna Maunga Authority in relation to the removal of the group’s base-camp.

Honour the Maunga had occupied the Maunga since 11 November, preventing the Authority from felling 345 exotic trees there – nearly half the public reserve’s entire tree cover. The occupation was stood down in accordance with Covid Level 4 requirements, but the group left its marquee and tents in place in readiness for the lockdown being lifted. The Authority removed everything in the middle of the night on 14/15 April, alleging Covid-19 breaches and subsequently issued a media release about that.

To date the news media has accepted at face value the Authority’s statements, but our investigations have uncovered a number of deliberate and disturbing mistruths, as discussed below.

Its media release and media comments have incorrectly stated: “Removal of the encampment is supported by the New Zealand Police”.

Honour the Maunga was never in occupation during Level 4 so had never been approached by Police in relation to Covid 19. Nor had Tūpuna Maunga Authority contacted us to express any Covid concerns before it removed our base camp.

Mt Albert is within the Avondale Police Station area, so yesterday we contacted the Duty District Commissioner Steve Clark to verify whether the Police had indeed supported the Authority’s actions. Clark expressed clear surprise and anger about the Authority’s claims and told Honour the Maunga that the Police are neutral and had not supported their action.

He indicated the Police would be contacting Tūpuna Maunga Authority to express its concerns and ask the Authority to correct its statement.

When we followed up with Duty District Commissioner Steve Clark this afternoon, he would not say whether or not the Police had contacted the Authority. He also said the Police would not issue its own public statement on the matter even though he acknowledged that the Authority was incorrectly stating the Police supported their actions. Our member who spoke with the Duty District Commissioner is prepared to provide a sworn affidavit confirming the full conversation.

Here are four questions that journalists need to ask Tūpuna Maunga Authority:

1. What is the name and rank of the Police person who authorised or gave support for the Authority to take Honour the Maunga’s possessions?
2. Has the Authority received any form of communication from Police expressing concern that the Authority has publicly claimed Police support for its actions?
3. If Tūpuna Maunga Authority was so concerned about the group’s alleged breaches of Covid Level 4 lockdown, why did it not lodge a complaint with the Police and let them deal with it given that this would be the usual process?
4. Given that Honour the Maunga’s base camp was clearly unoccupied, all equipment was packed away in a tent so it couldn’t’ be used and a sign was on-site stating that the group had stood down during the occupation, was the Authority using alleged the Covid lockdown as a flimsy excuse to remove the basecamp and untruthfully position Honour the Maunga’s people as law-breakers?

Three questions that journalists need to ask the Police:

1. Did NZ Police support Tūpuna Maunga Authority to remove Honour the Maunga’s private property even though there had been no prior notification of alleged Covid breaches by either the Authority or Police? If ‘yes’ then who within the Police authorised this?
2. Has anybody from NZ Police contacted Tūpuna Maunga Authority to express concern about their claims of Police support?
3. Do the Police endorse non-police organisations taking unilateral action in relation to addressing alleged Covid lockdown breaches?
4. Do the Police endorse Tūpuna Maunga Authority retaining Honour the Maunga’s possessions without Honour the Maunga’s prior agreement?

Mr Majurey has also publicly claimed “two truckloads [of Honour the Maunga’s tents and materials] were removed from the site early this morning and they had been stored to be returned to their owners after the lockdown was lifted.”

This morning Honour the Maunga received a phone call from a member of the public who is not associated with the group. The person and their partner had been walking their dog on the maunga and saw a Tūpuna Maunga Authority maintenance person open the doors on a locked toilet block. It was full of tents and other equipment.

An Honour the Maunga member with a probe camera subsequently visited the maunga as part of his exercise regime and filmed inside the toilet block, confirming that it is our gear. We can provide this photographic evidence upon request.

Three questions journalists should be asking Tūpuna Maunga Authority:

1. Why are you claiming in the media that “two truckloads of were removed from the site” when it a) is on site in the locked toilet block; and b) is nowhere near two truckloads worth?
2. Given the Authority’s media release claims the removal of Honour the Maunga’s gear was “a necessary action to protect the health and safety of Maunga visitors, staff and contractors as the Covid-19 crisis continues” why did you put it in as unhygienic a place as could be found – on the floor of a public toilet block?
3. Given the tents were all outside and away from the public thoroughfare and clearly not being used, why was the Authority undertaking a non-essential activity, as well as putting your staff at health & safety risk by requiring them to work in the dead of night (between 11 pm and 5 am) to pack up the campsite when it was clearly not being used?

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