A fierce backlash has erupted across the Ngāti Whātua rohe after two of its statutory boards withdrew opposition to the proposed Dome Valley landfill, a project long described by locals as a future environmental and cultural disaster.

After six years of legal resistance, Te Uri o Hau Settlement Trust and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua (TRONW) have confirmed they are now working with Waste Management NZ (WM), the company behind the controversial Wayby Valley landfill development south of Wellsford. The shift follows an Environment Court ruling in December 2023, which signalled that resource consent could be granted if stringent conditions were met.

But many whānau from across Ngāti Whātua nui tonu say they were blindsided by the decision — and see it as a betrayal by their own.

“The only mandate these two boards had was to uphold our tikanga, our rahui,” said environmental advocate Mikaera Miru, a longtime member of the Fight the Tip campaign. “A tapu was placed on this land. That rahui has never been lifted. It remains in force today, and yet nobody is speaking about it — even though it is the most important cultural protection we have placed over this whenua.”

Miru, who attended the Ngāti Whātua Rūnanga AGM at Oturei Marae in March 2025, said he specifically requested a hui of all 34 Ngāti Whātua marae to determine their collective stance on the landfill and the enduring rahui. The Rūnanga agreed, proposing May — but the meeting never materialised. Miru now believes the delay was deliberate.

“Behind our backs, they were cutting deals. I ask every trustee: how many of you have even read the landfill consent documents? I reckon none,” he said. “They’ve breached tikanga by failing to consult with the people they claim to represent. This is the Crown’s old strategy: divide and rule. And it’s happening again — this time through our own statutory boards.”

Critics of the landfill, including environmental organisations and local hapū, have long warned of its dangers. Concerns include toxic leachate leaking into waterways including the te Awa Hoteo river that feeds into Kaipara Moana- one of the biggest harbour's in the world, also the most significant breeding grounds for Snapper in NZ. Kaipara harbour is already suffering from siltation and ecological collapse.

“The forests have been burnt, the fisheries stripped bare, the shellfish beds destroyed. And now we’re being asked to accept poison in our waters too?” said Miru. “Enough is enough.”

Although WM and the trusts claim their new position is informed by updated scientific assessments and improved mitigation strategies, many remain sceptical. They point to a previous agreement between WM and the Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust that included financial compensation and future land transfers in the event of contamination.

Deputy chair of Fight the Tip, Michelle Carmichael, said the new draft conditions attached to the landfill — more than 400, supported by 70 management plans — underscore the site’s unsuitability.

“The number of conditions shows how many risks this landfill presents,” she said. “What’s missing is any genuine commitment to waste reduction. It’s still the same old bury-it model dressed up with paperwork.”

As the public awaits the final decision on the project — with a Forest & Bird appeal still pending in the Court of Appeal — a major hui is being called to unite the 34 marae of Ngāti Whātua. The agenda: the rahui, the breakdown of tikanga, the failings of the statutory entities, and how the wider community can stand together to stop the landfill.

“Our marae are the last bastions of the Māori world — our wāhi rangatira, our chiefly places,” said Miru. “Te Uri o Hau and TRONW are accountable to the Crown, but they hold no cultural accountability to us. This is our chance to put that right.”

The hui will be held on Sunday, 18 May at the Wellsford Community Centre. All iwi members and supporters from the wider community are invited to attend.