Press Release by the Maori Party
4 September 2009

Paraparaumu Airport: another Raglan golf course says the Maori Party

Paraparaumu Airport land should have been offered back to the original Maori owners and plans for major development will compound a serious injustice, says the Maori Party.

“Money has trumped justice here,” said Maori Party co-leader and Te Tai Hauauru MP Tariana Turia.

“The law has not protected the rights of the original owners, and others stand to benefit from their loss.

“The simple facts are that their land was taken under the Public Works Act, at the outbreak of war, for aviation purposes – the same as Eva Rickard’s land.

“When the war was over, the land should have been handed back. But it was kept for aviation purposes, for the benefit of private individuals and aviation companies.

“Fifty years later, the land was sold to a private businessman. It should have been returned to the owners then. If it was still needed for aviation purposes, the Council could have negotiated an agreement with the whanau, as it did with the new owner.

“Less than ten years later, the private owner on-sold to a developer for a profit of tens of millions of dollars. The developer argued that, for him to ensure the airport made the profit he was entitled to expect, it was essential to develop a business park – for aviation purposes.

“The new owner, the airport operator, and the council which rezoned the land are all thrilled at the money to be made from this venture. The rights of the original owners have been trampled in the gold rush.

“The Maori Party has a Private Member’s Bill before Parliament at present which would prevent this sort of injustice happening again. Te Ururoa Flavell’s ‘Public Works (Offer-back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill’ would require the original owners, Maori or Pakeha, to be given the right of first refusal to purchase land taken, but no longer needed, for public works.

“We are waiting for the Select Committee to report back to Parliament for a second reading of the Bill, which is clearly needed in cases such as this,” said Mrs Turia.

ENDS

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