October 21, 2021
Fertiliser boyott call as Whareroa fights for survival
A Ngāi Te Rangi marae is calling on Māori land blocks to boycott fertilizer from Ballance Agri Nutrients until the firm moves its Mount Maunganui plant.
The plant is one of a number of industrial businesses which have come to surround Whareroa Marae, the ancestral gathering place of Ngāi Tukairangi and Ngāti Kuku.
Marae spokesperson Joel Ngatuere says discharges from the plant are affecting the health of children and kaumātua.
He denies reports the marae is looking to move, and says it’s determined to maintain its customary rights over its lands and waters in the face of climate change and increased development.