Grapegrowers in Marlborough are being accused of disturbing ancient Māori land with new vines.
Today Rangitāne iwi members gathered to protest at the site, which is close to one of the earliest settlements in the country.
“Our wahi tapu, our urupa, our burial grounds are all out there,” Save Kōwhai Pā event organiser Keelan Walker said.
Privately owned by Montford Corporation, the land is home to 13 recorded archaeological sites.
There are a number of zones which require permission before any development can begin.
In 2016, Heritage New Zealand laid and later withdrew charges against company directors Haysley and Phillip Macdonald after work at the site.
Haysley MacDonald is out of the country at the moment but 1 NEWS was able to contact him - he says although he’s applied for a permit from Heritage New Zealand, so far there’ve been no plantings in any risk zone.
Mr Macdonald, a Rangitane iwi trustee, says the action against him is "politically motivated".
“If I'm found to be wrong, nothing's damaged. If he's found to be wrong, he's just destroyed our heritage,” Mr Walker said.
The land is close to Wairau Bar, which is known as one of the first human settlements in New Zealand dating back 800 years.
Rangitāne member Wayne Abbott says he's been involved with every archaeological dig in the area over the past 15 years.
“This is the last bastion of what's left after we're surrounded by grapes, it's our heritage. It's not just Māori heritage, it's New Zealand's heritage,” he said.
Heritage New Zealand is investigating and won't comment until that process is finished.
But concerned iwi members plan to file a claim against the Crown next week over what they see is a failure to protect their sacred space.
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