January 24, 2017
Hapu chains off campers from Graveyard breaks
A Taranaki hapu wants a ban on freedom camping at the popular Graveyards surf beach south of New Plymouth.
Dennis Ngawhare from Nga Mahanga says ever since South Taranaki District Council listed the Paora Rd carpark as suitable for three vehicles, there have been more than a dozen most nights.
Many cross the Puniho Pa Reserve to camp along the riverbank, damaging harakeke and other replanting.
There is a single toilet at the carpark, and people are relieving themselves in the bushes and using a traditional waka landing area as a dumping ground.
"The surfers call it Graveyard but we known it as Mokotunu which was the name of a village there destroyed in the Land Wars in 1860. Our preference is to ban camping down there totally because there isn't the infrastructure, the environment is suffering, our wahi tapu are being compromised. When you talk about freedom camping, there is a price to be paid and we are paying the price," Dr Ngawhare says.
He says the council's response has been inadequate, so Puniho trustees put a chain over the road where it crosses their land.
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