THE former Kiritehere freedom camping area was fenced off to protect the dunes, and the underlying ancestral urupa. FILE PHOTO
THERE will be no more freedom camping permitted at Kiritehere after Waitomo District Council rescinded a clause of the bylaw originally passed in 2018. The call came after 39 submissions were made to the council from residents and those connected to the area who were opposed to freedom camping continuing to be permitted there. Some stated having freedom campers in Kiritehere was severely impacting on locals who cleaned up after them and whose ancestors were buried below them. In 2020 locals succeeded in getting a fence installed around a wider area of the urupa (cemetery) north of the bridge, which included unmarked graves (King Country News, December 1, 2020). FENCED PORTION Only the area which had graves with headstones was fenced prior, which meant tūpuna (ancestors) were being driven over by freedom campers who were legally allowed to do so according to the bylaw. After much of the reserve was fenced, a portion at the roadside near the public toilet remained available to campers. Kaumatua Nora Haupokia told the council about the respect she was taught to have for Kiritehere while growing up there. She said there were more graves in the sand dunes behind the reserve than people knew about. “When I was young I would go for a walk along the beach with my father. He said to me ‘look up there.’ “When I looked up behind me – and I’m sorry I’m going to have to mention this – there was the skeleton of an old person sitting in the sand. “That was from [the] flu epidemic. “That whole area, that’s what’s in the sand hills there. Skeletons of bodies during that time. “They just went walking, they couldn’t get back and they sat and stayed there.” SAD SITUATION She said she felt sad about the whole situation, including the mess often left behind by freedom campers. “It’s quite sad to see a nice, lovely, small place like that being rubbished.” Landowner Natasha Willison told the council locals continued to be left out of the conversation when it came to setting laws like the one in question. “There has been no consideration given to us as whanau. “What year are we in? And we’re still getting left out of these conversations.” In her written submission Natasha said it was offensive that her whanau had not been considered in the process. “Our tūpuna are buried in these hills and so many whanau from all over the motu. “They have been disrespected by this process and continue to be trampled on.” She said abusive comments had been directed at locals trying to manage and protect the area, which had caused whanau and kuia distress. Sand dunes had been eroded during the time freedom camping had been permitted, Natasha said. Maria Willison said the bylaw allowed inappropriate use of the land, coupled with a complete lack of services in Kiritehere meant it did not make sense for freedom camping to continue to be allowed there. FAILED TO PROVIDE “Since [2018] the council has failed to provide adequate services for those visitors to the area and our whanau and community continue to pick up the pieces from that.” She voiced issues with there not being enough rubbish bins, irregular cleaning of the toilets, a complete lack of water and an absence of monitoring from the council. “We have no water in Kiritehere, so how can people wash their hands? How can people stay for 14 days with no water at all? “The toilets aren’t cleaned regularly and there’s no sanitiser. “The toilets are often filled with rubbish, there’s an overflow because there aren’t enough rubbish bins.”
