20 Feb 2012

King Country iwi occupy Crafar farm

6:47 pm on 20 February 2012

A member of a King Country iwi occupying one of the Crafar farms says they want to engage with the Crown over their claim to their ancestral whenua - a claim for which they have been fighting for 126 years.

The property near Benneydale is one of the 16 North Island farms that were offered to the Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin.

But the High Court ordered the Government to reconsider the offer on Wednesday 15 February.

Edward Moana-Emery has direct genealogical links to the land and says his ancestors have been petitioning to have it returned since 1886.

He says he hopes his iwi does not have to keep waiting and that the Crown does not continue to ignore them.

Mr Moana-Emery says he hopes it is not going to take another 126 years to get their land returned.

He says there are no dates for when they will end their occupation and as soon as they move onto the property they are there to stay until they can get some contact with the Government.