The tree protection community group that had occupied Ōwairaka / Mt Albert around the clock until the COVID-19 Level 4 lock-down says it is undeterred by Tūpuna Maunga Authority’s removal of its 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. In all, Tūpuna Maunga Authority plans to remove nearly 2000 exotic trees off the Auckland’s volcanic cones (maunga) under its control.

Honour the Maunga stood down its occupation in accordance with COVID-19 Alert Level 4 requirements but left its marquee and tents in place in readiness for the lockdown being lifted.

The group was this morning advised that the Authority had been in under the cover of darkness and removed everything from the base camp. Feedback from locals who walk on the mountain suggests this happened sometime between 10 pm last night and 5 am this morning.

Honour the Maunga’s spokesperson Anna Radford says she received an email from the Authority saying it removed the tents because it believed there was a risk they could be used in breach of the COVID-19 Level 4 rules.

She notes the camp has been clearly unoccupied since just before Level 4 came into force and signage advises that the group has stood down during this time. At no point has the Authority contacted the group to express concern about any supposed COVID-19 risk.

“Honour the Maunga’s members all did the right thing and followed the Level 4 lockdown rules. We are disappointed that the Authority cynically exploited the situation by conducting the clearly non-essential activity of sneaking in under the cover of darkness and taking absolutely everything from our base camp - tents, marquee, tables, chairs...the lot,” she says.

Radford goes on to say that the Authority’s letter also incorrectly justifies removing the tents on the grounds that the group’s tree protection presence on the maunga is ‘unlawful’.

“As has always been the case over the past five months, we are a peaceful group of concerned citizens who are lawfully exercising our rights under the Bill of Rights to protest in a public place – in this case, a public reserve.”

Radford adds: “Using flimsy excuses to remove all of our gear during the lockdown is a low blow but we are not deterred – if anything, we are more committed than ever to saving the trees on Ōwairaka / Mt Albert - and on other maunga too. We will be back in full force as soon as Covid requirements permit.

Radford notes the Authority claims all of the removed items will be ‘securely stored for return to their owners once changes to the alert level allows that to occur’.

“Given the Authority has shown zero integrity in how it deals with local communities, we strongly suspect there will be very large strings attached to our people’s personal property being returned.

“In any case, there is nothing whatsoever to stop the Authority returning all of our things immediately on the understanding that they will not be returned to the mountain during level 4.”

Radford notes that – tents or no tents – Honour the Maunga will continue taking action to save the trees on Mt Albert / Ōwairaka and other Auckland maunga.

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