November 25, 2020
Far North Council in dust up with Maori communities
A Kaitaia teacher is calling out the Far North District Council for refusing to upgrade roads around marae and papakainga.
Wikatana Popata says hapū have been protesting the issue for more than a decade, but the council has failed to act – while tarsealing the roads outside councillors’ houses.
His latest outburst was sparked by seeing council vehicles spraying dust suppressant outside the home of a Pākehā neighbour while refusing to fix the road going through his own papakainga.
He says it’s a problem throughout the far north.
"You’d know where you come up to a marae or a papakainga Māori because the road will turn dusty, it'll turn to unsealed road. That's what's happening at our home, our papakianga five minutes outside of Kaitaia. It's not on, like I've got nephews and nieces who've got asthma," Mr Popata says.
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