Police yesterday shut down an illegal hapū-led checkpoint in Te Araroa but have agreed to set up two static checkpoints tracking vehicle movements through Ngāti Porou rohe.
Photo: Gray Clapham / Gisborne Herald / LDR
The Matakaoa Covid-19 response group opened a community checkpoint at the intersection of State Highway 35 and Pohutu Road at 8am yesterday.
Police attended, spoke to those involved and shut it down by 3pm.
A "compromise" was reached, with police agreeing to establish two static checkpoints in operation from today - one at Okitu, Wainui, and the other at Wharekahika/Hicks Bay.
The Matakaoa Covid-19 response group are pleased the checkpoints are finally in place and want them to remain under alert levels 3 and 4.
Police say the checkpoints will be used to analyse vehicle movements but cannot indicate how long they will be in place.
The Matakaoa Covid-19 response group opened a community checkpoint at the intersection of State Highway 35 and Pohutu Road, near Te Araroa, yesterday morning. Photo: Supplied / LDR
Area police commander Inspector Sam Aberahama visited the community checkpoint yesterday, which he said was illegal under the Covid-19 alert level restrictions.
"There were no issues about the shutdown. They accepted and understood the reasons why," he said.
During those discussions, police agreed to establish two static checkpoints.
"They have wanted static checkpoints since day dot. We are going to put them in to have a look at what the movement looks like and who's moving around.
"We did compromise yesterday so that we can get a better picture."
Police would analyse the data to understand whether the people they encountered were whānau moving around the area, or people coming into the area from outside, he said.
"At this stage, though, there has been no evidence to suggest a lot of people are coming into this region for the wrong reasons. We had one case from the Waikato recently but those people were escorted all the way back to where they came from."
Matakaoa Covid-19 response spokeswoman Ani Pahuru-Huriwai said the community was "ecstatic" about the static checkpoints.
"We didn't want to have to have a community checkpoint in order to be listened to.
"We want to have a working, functional, respectful relationship with police.
"At the end of the day, for us, it's about keeping our whānau safe and about keeping the virus out of here."
The Matakaoa Covid-19 response group yesterday claimed roaming police checkpoints had not reduced traffic and that their communities had been offered "less protection" during the outbreak of the more infectious Delta variant than during lockdown in 2020.
Matakaoa Covid-19 response spokeswoman Ani Pahuru-Huriwai says they didn't want to have to put a community checkpoint in place in order to be listened to, but are pleased with the resulting static. Photo: LDR
Community kaitiaki (guardians) would not be involved in the police-led checkpoints but Pahuru-Huriwai said they hoped to continue conversations with police on this.
"We want to commend the police who have been here from Hawke's Bay, they've been amazing.
"We're very appreciative of the support that we've had."
The group encouraged all whānau who were living away to stay away at this time.
Acting Minister for Emergency Management Kris Faafoi last week rejected a written request from 32 Ngāti Porou marae to declare a regional state of emergency and implement static checkpoints for the Coast.
The Minister agreed with Tairāwhiti emergency management controller David Wilson, who believed emergency status was not necessary.
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