9 Oct 2018

Judge reserves decision for protestors occupying school

6:29 pm on 9 October 2018

The Catholic Diocese of Auckland will have to wait and see if protestors occupying a closed Catholic school can be moved.

Wharenui that local iwi Ngāti Paoa are living in.

Wharenui that local iwi Ngāti Paoa are living in. Photo: RNZ / Eden More

At the High Court in Auckland today, a reserved decision was made on whether to trespass protestors at Hato Petera College.

Justice Jagose reserved his decision on whether to grant the injunction, to a later date.

The Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Auckland is seeking a tresspass notice against Reti Boynton - as a group of around 20 protestors refuse to leave the college.

Reti Boynton appeared in court today but said he was no longer a part of the occupancy at the college.

Mr Boynton is a spokesperson for two whānau he says have claims to the land the college originally sits on, the Turoa and Peters whānau.

There is still a group of 20 protestors currently occupying the college's Marae and one dormitory.

In August the Minister of Education Chris Hipkins cancelled Hato Petera College's integration agreement - closing the school down.

Protestors say the land the former school sits on was given to Catholic Diocese for the purpose of educating Māori - and with the school's closure this purpose was no longer being fulfilled.

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