Boat owners and there depots

Whangamata protesters are occupying the site for the approved marina. Seeing as how the area of the marina would most likely include the foreshore and seabed I would expect that some move to get the Crown into negotiations over it might be a reason enough to stall it in court. But it's all been *legally* seized by the Crown now so I'm not sure how much weight Tangata Whenua have - given that Conservation Minister Carter cocked-up the consent process and the decision has been made.

If we look at the history of these things we must admit that what these developments are is the privatisation of public space. The creation of property for Pakeha via a Crown transfer of something that is Maori is an old trick. I don't know the full details, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. Given that many of these pro-development boaties are set to gain financially as well as gaining an extension into the publicly used area of their own lifestyle - at the expense of others, this community will have some bitter animosity and division for years to come:

RNZ: About 30 Hauraki iwi members and surfers are occupying the site of a proposed marina in the Coromandel town.
The 205-berth marina was given the go-ahead in 2006, after the High Court overturned a veto by Chris Carter, who was Conservation Minister at the time.
Local iwi say the multi-million dollar development is nothing like the original proposal, and are calling for a ministerial inquiry

Name one project based on a formerly public area becoming enmeshed into a private development that has suffered no dimunition of access or community value. Before long all the agreements and understandings about when gates are locked and who has to build the public parts and maintain the public parts break down. The private capacity to encroach and capture public space is a constant pressure. The most motivated people with the most expansive projects are the ones wealthy enough to fight the rest of the community for it. But, until it gets constructed they have not won yet.