“We have no choice but to be here,” said hapū representative Craig Ahipene.
He said the proposed development ignored the cultural significance of the land.
“Our people lived here for generations – and we believe they are still here.”
‘Not just houses on a hill’
The lake takes its name from Te Whakamarumarutanga o Kahukeke – a shelter built by the ancestor Rakatāura – a reminder, Ahipene said, that this is not just water, but wāhi tapu (a sacred place).
Before the river was dammed in the 1950s and the area flooded to create the Whakamaru Lake and Hydro Scheme, the area was dotted with kāinga (villages), and served as a key route along the Waikato River basin, Ahipene said.
There were also “burials” underneath the man-made lake, he said.
Ahipene said environmental reshaping of the river over generations – from hydro schemes to suburban sprawl – had continually pushed aside the rights, responsibilities, and voices of mana whenua.
He said cultural responsibilities could not be sidelined in favour of development pressures.
Lake Whakamaru in South Waikato. Photo / Tom Eley
“It’s not just houses on a hill. This is our history – and all it takes is one drop [of wastewater] to enter the lake [to disturb our ancestors].”
Ahipene said the hapū needed to take up this fight and protest because it felt a responsibility to protect the lake.
“If we did nothing at all, it’s on us. This is what we have to do … We [would] let down our people and future generations if we don’t.”
In the protest, Ahipene is joined by his sister, Jacinta Rata, who said all the resources for the land occupation, like food and tents, had come out of the hapū’s own pocket.
“It is a small, small price.”
What the developer says
Quigley said he acquired the parcel of land, formerly used for forestry, after it remained unsold for a year.
“No one has touched it. No one wanted it. So we purchased it.”
Lake Whakamaru was created when the dam was built in the 1950s. Photo/ Tom Eley
He lodged the application for the rezoning with the South Waikato District Council in 2023.
Hearings took place in November this year due to “procedural delays” on the applicant’s side, the council said.
Quigley said the land had been in private ownership for a long time, so he was confused why the issue around cultural significance had only come up now.
“The documents show the land was used for the forestry industry.
“At least, from 1932 it’s been in private ownership.”
Quigley said he knew he was looking at the development “from a white man’s perspective” but was not “belittling” the cultural significance of the area.
He said he had worked with Raukawa Charitable Trust on this for the past three years.
The Ngāti Te Kohera flag flies over the land occupation.
“They brought in hapū members that they felt were relevant to the development, in their opinion, and that wasn’t for us to argue, decide or choose.”
There had been no contact with the iwi group after public council submissions closed in May 2025, he said.
Quigley said he appreciated Ngāti Te Kohera’s emotional and spiritual attachment to the land.
The developer said he had gone to significant lengths to ensure concerns about wastewater run-off were mitigated by new water treatment technology.
“That is what we are proposing, but it’s still not enough [for the hapū].”
The hapū also expressed concerns about the lake being on the flight path of the long-tailed bat, but Quigley said an expert had assessed the area for environmental impact.
“Legal documents … show that that’s simply not the case.”
He said any construction would ensure that cultural and environmental concerns were addressed.
Developer Johnathan Quigley is proposing a 66-home development at Lake Whakamaru in South Waikato.
Quigley also said he was committed to planting more new trees than the law required.
“Best practice is planting 10% of the land in ecological planting, and we are proposing 28%.”
Quigley said the development would not restrict access to the campground, and the pre-existing private road entrance would be shifted “so that in perpetuity there is public access”.
An additional parcel of “prime real estate” would be put aside for camping grounds and ecological reasons, he said.
“In collaboration with Waikato River Trails Trust, [we will] build a new section of river trail and give that land to them so they have a permanent section there that connects up.”
What the council says
The South Waikato District Council said in a statement that it was aware of the occupation and it was speaking with Raukawa, the iwi who carry “mana and responsibility for the hapū”.
“As a council, we understand the cultural sensitivity required on this matter and are subsequently working with Raukawa as the appropriate conduit to the occupation group,” council chief executive Susan Law said.
Law said it was “critical” that Raukawa lead this kōrero with their hapū.
“I am pleased to say that our discussions and interactions with Ngāti Te Kohera to date have been respectful and co-operative across the board.”
While a bylaw prohibits uncontained fires at the site, the council granted a temporary exemption for the group to acknowledge the cultural custom of keeping a fire (ahi kā) going at the site.
This temporary exemption did not extend to other open fires.
The public continued to have access to the reserve and its amenities throughout the occupation.
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.