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Te Arawa hapū are preparing for a long fight against a road that will cut marae on the eastern side of the Rotorua from the lake.
Paraone Pirika, the Chairman of Owhata Marae, says the New Zealand Transport Agency seems to have targeted Māori land in its plan for the Rotorua Eastern Arterial route between the city and the airport.
He says a hui on Sunday decided the plan fails on ecological cultural grounds.
Mr Pirika says Ngāti Hurungaterangi, Te Roro-ō-te-Rangi and Ngāti Uenukukopako have already lost land for roads, public facilities and the Rotorua township.
“We've given a significant amount already and still they ask for more. Alot of people have been fragmentised from their marae. Now we’ve got these tapu things like our urupa that will be cut off. How do you do that? Our link to our lake has been cut off. They don’t realise it but they’re in for a battle. They're in for a big battle,” Paraone Pirika says.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd
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