Community leaders in Mt Maunganui are dismayed at the apparent racist vandalism of signs on the iconic mountain, Mauao.
Scratches can be seen over placemaking signage on Mauao, Mt Maunganui, in Tauranga. Photo: Supplied / Tauranga City Council
The signs were recently installed as part of a 'wayfinding' project to tell the stories and history of the mountain and the wider Mt Maunganui area.
Ngā Poutiriao ō Mauao chair Dean Flavell said the signs were wilfully damaged over the weekend, with te reo Māori names in particular scratched out.
"These signs are there to help locals and manuhiri enjoy this iconic taonga, and a way for the community to connect with our sacred maunga," Flavell said.
"Access to Mauao is a privilege, not a right and anyone who is identified disrespecting the maunga will be trespassed and lose their access to this special place."
Flavell told RNZ the vandalism was spread right across the maunga's extensive network of tracks.
"From that perspective, it seems like it's been targeted towards the kupu Māori. The wayfinding is over the entire mountain and someone's taken it as their job to destroy or take over the kupu Māori."
But he also described it as galvanising, saying it would not stop the project.
"So we will continue, we've got more interpretations and stories to tell and those will be installed on the maunga over the next year."
Tauranga City Council commissioner Anne Tolley said the council would not tolerate racist behaviour, and a complaint had been laid with police.
"This is not who we are, or who we want to be," Tolley said.
The council said work was being done to work out the cost of repairing the signs, which would be fixed as soon as possible.
The 'wayfinding' project has been laid out across the maunga's popular track network, with information about Tauranga history and mana whenua.
The project includes a cultural compass to be installed at the summit, which features a pounamu touchstone.
It also includes the restoration of an historic pā site, Te Uru Karaka.
Tolley said the works on the project would continue.
