Ngati Wairere and Hamilton City Council are in dispute about restoring the name of one of Kirikiroa’s most significant pa sites to a central city block.

What was Opoia Pa on the eastern bank of the Waikato River has been known as the Sonning Car Park since the 1970s, and the council is now making the land available for housing.

Ngati Wairere historian Wiremu Puke says the iwi wants the name restored now, but the council is resisting because it could put off developers.

It’s also resisting Ngati Wairere’s claim to the site.

“The council tries to say we don’t have any grounds for a contemporary treaty claim. Well, they consistently breach the treaty and have done so since 2014 which included an Environment Court case in which the council conceded Ngati Wairere are the mana whenua of the city. They’ve been excluding us out of the consultation since,” Mr Puke says.

The council is set to make a decision on the site on Thursday.