September 04, 2023
Mau Whenua shows the love for Marukaikuru
A leader of the Mau Whenua group opposing the development of Shelly Bay-Marukaikuru is welcoming its sale to filmmakers Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh.
Developers Shelly Bay Taikuru Limited and The Wellington Company announced on Friday that it would not be going ahead with its plan to build 350 homes, a boutique hotel, retail and office spaces on the former defence base.
The land was bought by Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust with its treaty settlement cash, and subsequently sold to developer Ian Cassels when it was unable to develop it on its own.
Catherine Love says Sir Peter has a deep understanding of the Mau Whenua position, as he laid out in a 2019 Facebook post.
“He says ‘the real victims here are the thousands of iwi who have had their land taken against their will. They have watched the Wellington City Council turn a wilful blind eye, abandoning any pretence of moral integrity as they sneakily enabled this modern-day land grab,'” she says.
Dr Love says Mau Whenua still has a case before the courts challenging the sale to Mr Cassels and whether the land was legally transferred, but its members are keen to help replant the site and return it to its natural state.