The Waiheke Community Board has bowed to pressure from local iwi and voted to officially recognise a burial site on the island.
Maori have fought for years to have a section of land on the island's foreshore, Matiatia Urupa, cleared of picnic tables, rubbish bins and a path which runs directly over graves.
At a meeting attended by about 40 locals, the board agreed on Wednesday to clear the area of the items.
It also voted to start work on a $20,000 upgrade of the cemetery that will see the area clearly marked out and signposted.
The board apologised to those present for the length of time it had taken to address the matter.
