14/05/2026
The following statement has been provided by the Taupo District Council following a meeting held recently with Craig Ahipene, Ngāti Te Kohera Representative, TDC and members of the Kinloch community.
Recent and Proposed Developments on Whangamatā No. 3
There has been concern expressed in the community about the apparent development of Maori land at the end of Eastern Beach. To allay people’s fears about this becoming another 5 mile bay situation a meeting was sought between local community representatives and the hapu. Te Wharau Walker (Iwi Liaison TDC) facilitated a meeting held recently in Kinloch attended by Craig Ahipene, Ngāti Te Kohera Representative, Tim Brittain, Ron McPhail, Ross McConnon (Kinloch Community Association), Mark Barton, Karen Scott, Brian McKeown (Kinloch Car and Coffee Club), Belinda Walker, Brigid Eady (Kinloch Families Trust) as well as Gillian Smith and Claire Dredge (TDC).
The hapu do not intend for this to be another 5 mile bay.
Craig Ahipene provided the following explanation of what is proposed for the area.
We would like to acknowledge and commend the residents of the Kinloch community for your passion and care for Kinloch — it reflects a strong sense of connection and responsibility for this place.
The trustees of Whangamatā No. 3, alongside the local hapū of Ngāti Te Kohera, share this same commitment. We have come together because we deeply care about the whenua and its future.
It is our view that, in the past, the duty of care required for land of such cultural and historical significance was not upheld to an acceptable standard. As a result, parts of the land have experienced damage and desecration, and some risks to its cultural and environmental integrity remain unaddressed.
Whangamatā No. 3 contains numerous wāhi tapu, including burial grounds, pā sites, and other culturally significant areas — some of which are especially sacred.
The recent activity you may have noticed on the land reflects long-overdue action. Our key objectives are:
• To preserve and protect the integrity of ancestral burial sites.
• To reconnect our hapū with the land, its history, and its taonga — particularly as Whangamatā No. 3 remains the last area of land in Māori ownership within the immediate Kinloch area.
We believe that these aspirations align closely with the values of the wider Kinloch community — a shared desire to protect, respect, and preserve this special place.
Recently we cleared a small area of flat land as part of these efforts. This work was carried out by hapū members who generously volunteered their time and resources.
When we have a plan for the area approved by the hapu and the Taupo District Council, members of the Kinloch community have offered to assist with the project.