By Torika Tokalau of Local Democracy Reporting
Auckland’s ancestral mountains will be closed over Guy Fawkes weekend to protect them from fires.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority in a statement said they will close 14 mountains from November 2 to November 5.
It’s the sixth consecutive year of closures during this period, after a history of devastating fires caused by fireworks on Maungarei (Mt Wellington), Maungawhau (Mt Eden) and Te Pane o Mataoho/Te Ara Pueru (Māngere Mountain) in 2019 and 2023.
Authority chair Paul Majurey said despite the successful closures in recent years, they’ve continued to identify concerning incidents involving dangerous use of fireworks and have seen suspicious fires with emergency services called.
“As long as fireworks remain available to the public, we have no option but to restrict access to the Maunga to prevent destructive fires and the extensive damage they cause,” he said.
The blazes in the past caused extensive damage to native vegetation, wildlife habitat, and tapu sites.
The 2019 blaze on Maungarei (Mt Wellington) destroyed more than 20 hectares of bush and scrub.
Just a few suburbs over, a separate fire broke out in the crater of Maungawhau (Mt Eden).
Last November, a suspicious fire broke out on Te Pane o Mataoho/Te Ara Pueru (Māngere Mountain), and fire fighters reported seeing people leaving the mountain peak while the fire crew were fighting the blaze.
The mountain was also set ablaze in December 2019, which burnt some pōhutukawa trees and took two days to be extinguished and led to a thick layer of smoke across the region.
Majurey said the need for closures was because Tūpuna Maunga were of immense cultural, historical, and spiritual importance.
“And, we have a duty to protect them.
“The continued threat posed by fireworks is serious, and these closures significantly reduce the risk of fire-related damage during Guy Fawkes”.
Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill), Maungarei (Mt Wellington), Maungawhau (Mt Eden), Maungauika (North Head), Ōwairaka/Te Ahi-kā-a-Rakataura (Mt Albert), Ōhinerau (Mt Hobson), Ōhuiarangi (Pigeon Mountain), Ōtāhuhu (Mt Richmond), Pukewīwī/Puketāpapa (Mt Roskill), Te Kōpuke/Tītīkōpuke (Mt St John), Takarunga (Mt Victoria), Te Pane o Mataaho/Te Ara Pueru (Māngere Mountain), Te Tātua a Riukiuta (Big King) and Matukutūruru (Wiri Mountain) will all be closed.
Security teams will patrol the maunga throughout the closure period and signage will be visible to remind the public of restrictions.
Security will also remain after the closure, from November 6 to the 10th.
“The Authority, alongside Auckland Council, the SPCA, and numerous other organizations across the country, will keep pressing the Government to tighten restrictions on the public sale of fireworks.
“It’s crucial that fireworks are only used in controlled environments, allowing people to enjoy them safely through organized public displays, while reducing the risk to people, property, and our sacred Maunga.”
Majurey said they would continue to urge the Government to ban public sales of fireworks.
