Puketapu Pa Site

Whakatane District Council has pleaded guilty to damaging an archaeological site, (Puketapu Pa site), during works to enhance public safety at the site.

The Chief Executive Diane Turner says the Council decided to plead guilty after realising that there had been a failure in internal systems which meant that it (the Council) did not apply for authority to do the work from the Historic Places Trust.

“A lack of communication between staff was due to a combination of factors; Staff turnover and a three-year time lapse between initial communication with the Trust and the work being carried out meant that the staff concerned did not know an authority was required. It was a very regrettable mistake, which we have learned from, and have since taken steps to ensure that this does not happen again”. Ms Turner said the steps the Council has taken include:

Updating project checklists to include a requirement to check the status of the land
Identifying all projects against known archaeological and culturally significant sites recorded in the Council’s GIS system and,
Work with Ngati Awa and other iwi on projects within their areas.
 

The Judge in sentencing the Council took into account the exemplary response both in terms of mitigating the physical damage and ensuring that such an event does not happen in the future. The Council was fined $7,500 and has to pay solicitor’s fees of $113 and disbursements for an archaeologist $1,671.30

 

 

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust took the Council to Court for causing damage to an archaeological site without the authority of the Trust under the Historic Place Trust Act 1993.

The damage relates to fencing post holes dug at the Puketapu Pa site as part of installing a safety barrier (perimeter fence) for the public.