Wairoa Mayor Craig Little is supporting the Ngai Tuhoe plea for visitors to stop trashing their beautiful lake and surroundings.

Mr Little, whose family has farmed on the doorstep of Te Urewera for four generations, said for people to treat such a beautiful area with so little respect it is disappointing.

“These people have a sense of entitlement, and this same type of behaviour is occurring by these same types of people all over New Zealand.

“I commend Tuhoe for being so tolerant, but if this situation does not improve, I believe a system needs to be established where people are registering and paying to use the lake.

Mr Little’s comments follow a call by Ngai Tuhoe to treat the area with respect after tonnes of rubbish were collected by staff.

Ngai Tuhoe took over the management of the former national park from the Department of Conservation in 2017 as part of a Treaty settlement.

They are appealing to people’s common sense and decency to curb the rubbish dumping and vandalism

Mr Little said like Lake Taupo, there needs to be a process in place where people register so Tuhoe know who is on the lake.

“People are filling their boats with hundreds of dollars of petrol and then paying nothing to use the lake.

“To preserve the park, there needs to be more controls and accountability in place.

“I do commend Tuhoe on their sensible approach as it must be so frustrating to have a small group of disrespectful people ruining it for everybody.

“I hope people hear and listen to this rationale appeal and start respecting our country’s beautiful natural areas or they risk having the unlimited access that they currently enjoy.”

4 February 2019

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