Two days of Tauranga City Council hearings on Maori heritage and archaeological sites began Monday morning with the council itself being accused of destroying some.
Starting the hearings was archaeologist Dr Des Kahotea, who says the council destroyed several archaeological sites during landscaping work on the Papamoa main drain.

Dr Des Kahotea says the Tauranga City Council has destroyed archaeological sites in the region.

A reason given by Des for this was the lack of training and experience of individuals involved in resource management processes and a lapse in the surveying of historic sites.
"We don't really have any people who are qualified," says Des.
"Some might have a diploma in Maori studies, but nothing that relates to the RMA and HPA."
Out of 427 archaeological sites identified on the Papamoa coast alone, half have been destroyed over the last 20 years, with Tauranga City Council involvement through the resource consent process, says Des.

The council is required by the Resource Management Act to protect heritage areas and archaeological sites.
In practice, the RMA protection is sidestepped by property owners obtaining permission to build over archaeological sites by the Historic Places Trust under the Historic Places Act, says Des.
Prior to the hearing, council environmental planner James Danby said there were 126 significant Maori sites proposed for inclusion in the city plan, but that has been reduced to 52.