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The Environment Court has heard that Horowhenua District Council is seeking to modify a waahi tapu by rebuilding a storm water drain through Kōwhai Park into Lake Horowhenua.
Vivienne Taueki of MuaŪpoko hapu Ngāti Tamarangi says the major earthworks around the Queen Street drain should be prohibited until the council has obtained a resource consent and complied with statutes and regulations affecting sites of significance to Māori.
She also challenged the purpose of the work, to dump storm water into the already highly-polluted Lake Horowhenua.
The council’s infrastructure services project manager, Gerard O’Neill, says advice from the regional council was a resource consent is not required, and the council disputes Kōwhai Park is an archaeological site.
Ms Taueki says the council has made repeated efforts to destroy the site, despite being informed repeatedly by Ngāti Tamarangi that it is a site of significance.
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