A Great Barrier Island resident wants other iwi to join their fight against the dumping of dredged sediment in nearby waters.
Coastal Resources Limited has been granted consent to dispose of the material near the island, but the decision is being appealed.
Kelly Klink from local iwi Ngatiwai wonders why others are staying silent.
"Why haven't other iwi from Auckland and Waikato, where they're taking the dredging, not stood beside us? Those are our waahi tapu grounds."
She is hosting a hui with locals on Sunday to discuss their next move.
Coastal Resources has been given approval to deposit 250,000 cubic metres of material each year for 35 years. It's currently allowed to deposit 50,000.
The site is 25km east of Great Barrier Island, just outside the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park but inside New Zealand's exclusive economic zone water.
The Environmental Protection Authority says the location and proposed operational procedures will "ensure that the biological diversity of marine species, ecosystems and processes in the Hauraki Gulf, and wider coastal and offshore environment, will be protected".
Klink expects a large turnout at the hui.
"To let them know what's happening with the court hearings and where we're at… I want our people to have a say…What is our next step forward? What are we going to do as a community, as a people, one people here on the island, to fight this?"
The dumping is partly due to dredging work needed for the America's Cup.
"Where they're going to dump this toxic shit is teeming with sea life and we're putting that at risk so a few rich people can sail some boats in a few years," resident Tony Story told Newshub in March.
Locals claim there was little consultation.
Newshub.
