On May 17, The Dominion Post published an article titled “Maori told to dig up ancestors”.

The article reported that the owners of a private property neighbouring the Waitahanui urupa (cemetery) had fenced off part of the urupa and a public easement.   
In fact, the historical easement has always been privately owned, and is now part of the current owners’ property.  The fence has been erected on the surveyed boundary of that property.  At the time of the sub-division, the boundary divided part of the urupa from the rest of the burial ground, but it is presently unclear whether there are ancestral remains buried in that part.

The current owners became aware of this issue only after the erection of the fence, and are working with the Ngati Tutemohuta elders to resolve the uncertainty and find a mutually acceptable solution.  One possibility suggested by local kaumatua is the exhumation of any tipuna buried on the homeowners’ side of the boundary, but it is accepted that the current owners have not told the local hapu to dig up their ancestors.