Ōwairaka protesters say authority hui manipulative

The group blocking contractor access to remove trees from Ōwairaka maunga says it won’t meet the Tūpuna Maunga Authority when it holds a hui on the maunga on Thursday.

The authority says it is holding a whakawātea and hui because the group has rejected three attempts to set up a meeting.

Honour the Maunga accuses the authority of acting in a cynical and highly manipulative way, and says it has mad it clear that negotiation is not an option…