December 09, 2013
Writer has novel approach to land grab
Writer Patricia Grace and her whanau have turned to the Maori Land Court in a last ditch attempt to stop ancestral land at Waikanae being buried under concrete.
The New Zealand Transport Agency is using the Public Works Act to take the land for the Kapiti Expressway.
Ms Grace wanted to stop the raupatu by having the block declared a Maori reservation for the benefit of the descendants of Wi Parata.
She says Wiremu Parata Te Kakakura was a great benefactor who gave generously to public works and development in Waikanae, including land for the railway.
The land in question is the only remaining piece of what were vast holdings, and it includes the site of the original wharenui and the village of Tuku Rakau.
Ms Grace says NZTA has five other options for that section of the expressway.
The hearing is set for February.
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