Descendants of the original land owners of the Kāpiti Coast Airport and the local mayor are calling on the government to return it to mana whenua.
Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The site was taken under the Public Works Act in 1939 to build an airport during World War II, but when it was no longer required for a public work it was sold to a private developer.
The land has been in private ownership ever since.
Puketapu hapū member Takiri Cotterill said in a statement the land should have been returned after the war, and her whānau had been fighting for its return for years.
"Our generations of whānau have each taken their turn to seek the return of airport land, which is part of their Ngāti Puketapu hapū estate," she said.
"In February 2018, our whānau gave our evidence to the Waitangi Tribunal of the various prejudicial actions of the Crown, which has resulted in the airport lands being transferred into the private ownership of a succession of land speculators.
"The worst thing for me would be if my grandchildren could not look upon their ancestral land... but only hold a deep grievance that their lands were sold off for transitory profit of people who don't even live here."
There are now fears the new owner NZ PropCo Ltd could rezone the land for residential development.
Kāpiti Mayor K Gurunathan said it was sold to the company last year prior to Covid-19, and he understood it was looking to sell.
Kāpiti Mayor K Gurunathan. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
"They bought the land at a time when the economic situation was different from now. And the danger now, that people feel, is that they will be wanting to rationalise their property and sell off as much as possible," he said.
"Even if I'm walking down the street or walking down the mall or going to a public engagement, people come up and ask me, what are you doing about the airport?
"Once the war was over then it should have been returned at that time to the original owners. That wasn't done," he said.
Gurunathan was a journalist during a week-long land occupation at the airport led by mana whenua in 1999.
Twenty-five police officers evicted the protesters for trespassing.
"I think it was the first Māori land occupation on the Kāpiti Coast, and eventually the police arrested almost 30 people for trespassing.
"It was the first time I saw the angst that the original owners had to go through because there was no redress, there was no justice."
He still has the photographs of protesters occupying the land and calling for it to be returned.
Gurunathan was also present when the whānau stood before the Waitangi Tribunal last year.
"Again, you saw in-depth, the angst of the family, the sorrow, the sense of betrayal. Because this is systemic alienation of land, so where do they go? The Waitangi Tribunal was actually the last avenue for them to get the redress."
Kāpiti Coast airport. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai chair Andre Baker said he respected Cotterill's view, but it may not be as simple as the government returning the land.
He said the hapū was yet to meet and discuss all of the options.
"There may well be more than one option that could and should be explored regarding the status of that whenua and perhaps what position we would like to take as an iwi and as a hapū."
In a statement, Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little said it was possible for land to be returned after it was acquired under the Public Works Act, but the case of the Kāpiti airport land was complicated.
"The issue is complicated by the length of time since the Crown's acquisition, and whether there are any eligible successors of the original owners. These issues were the subject of the Waitangi Tribunal's inquiry into these issues, and the Tribunal has yet to release its report.
"There are complex issues surrounding the disposal of the Crown's interests in the airport land and its current status.
"I have yet to fully consider the current events relating to the airport, including consultation with Ministerial colleagues who hold relevant portfolios."