Let’s stop this: “Two iwi authorities have interests in the Ihumatao land, Makaurau Marae Māori Trust and Te Kawerau a Maki Iwi Authority. Both have participated in talks with Fletcher Residential through a single representative, Te Warena Taua.” and that Te Warena Taua has close connection and a long history of protecting the Iwi interests in that very land very successfully.
It says very clearly that an agreement was reached with Fletchers making substantial and costly (to them) concessions after these negotiation talks and agreements.
Now someone with no legal nor identifiable connection to that land decides that’s not good enough and parks themselves on it. That they would never be able to afford to live on the houses built on that land anyway.
Maybe that’s partly because of the cost of getting approvals to actually start work. Its estimated those costs are normally about $100k per section so the extra time and lawyers involved, the whispering tree, the koha, the delay, might drive these up to $150,000 cost each. Fletchers themselves shaky enough as it is without this.
That the government has become involved now and just said “Let’s stop this” must put a shiver up every would be developer’s spine.