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Mongrel Mob patching ceremonies will continue to be allowed on Te Mata Peak after council meets with gang members

Rex Timu says the meeting with the Hastings District Council and Te Mata Park was successful.

Mongrel Mob patching ceremonies will continue to be allowed on Te Mata Peak near Hastings after some members of the public felt intimated by one such event earlier this month.

A meeting was held behind closed doors this morning between the Hastings District Council, Te Mata Park and senior Mongrel Mob members.

The meeting was called after a ceremony on Saturday May 4 forced police to close the route to the Te Mata Peak summit for a short time due to the number of cars and gang members on the road.

Read more: Te Mata Peak visitors 'told to turn back' and 'felt intimidated' as Mongrel Mob held apparent patching ceremony

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazelhurst told 1 NEWS after the meeting that ceremonies on top of the region's popular tourist attraction will continue but be managed better and the public will be given more notice about them.

She says the Mongrel Mob won’t be prevented from using Te Mata Peak as the area is a public place for all to enjoy.

Senior Mob leader Rex Timu admitted to 1 NEWS the last ceremony was attended by more than were expected and the traffic congestion got out of hand.

However he denied any allegations that Mob members were intimidating other members of the public.

He’ll now speak to chapters around the region about the new way forward which could mean scheduling the ceremonies to outside of peak times.

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