TITFORDS REVISIT 'THEIR' FARM

By ROBYN DOWNEY and ROSE STIRLING - Dargaville News | Wednesday, 29 October 2008

For the first time in 22 years after it became the subject of a land claim, Allan Titford walked on to the Maunganui Bluff property that he once farmed.

He says that every 18 months, until now, he has only visited to look over the fence at the property.

"I can’t believe how much gorse there is now," he says walking through the gate.

Mr Titford, wife Sue and the couple’s six children, together with supporters, walked on to the property on Wednesday.

The land has been the subject of a claim by the iwi Te Roroa, which was settled in September.

The group were asked what they were doing at the property by the current occupiers, but were not asked to leave.

Mr Titford claims he still legally owns the property and maintains that the Crown’s claim over the property has no substance.

Titford supporter Ross Baker of One New Zealand Foundation says "documentation which would make this claim legal has never been found".

Earlier that day, the group comprising Mr Titford, Mr Baker and former neighbouring landowner Donny Harrison, who says part of his farm was also affected by the claim, met with the Dargaville police for one and a half hours before heading to the property.

Mr Baker says police gave the group assurance they would not be arrested if they walked on to the property.

Sergeant Jonathan Tier says that the matter was a civil one between the former landowners and the Crown.

"I have sought advice from the police legal team and also been in contact with the Crown Law Office to seek an appropriate remedy and a peaceable solution and I expect to hear back from them this week."

Mr Tier says if the land title is in dispute, the title passing from Mr Titford to the Crown would have to be overturned by the court.

Mr Baker says the group’s intention was not to fully occupy the property.

"We will survey what is needed to stock the property and fence it," he says.

He says "if documentation can be found that substantiates the Crown has a legal right to this land then we will all go away."

Mr Baker says the group believes it has never been proven that the land consists of Crown reserves, particularly two pieces – Manuwhetai and Whangaiariki.

One of these pieces of land is part of Mr Titford’s farm and the other Mr Harrison’s.

However, both men have continued to strongly refute these pieces are reserves.

Mr Baker says the books need to be opened up again and "traced right back as far as the Crown’s deal with two Maori chiefs in 1876".

Just before entering the property, Mr Titford said that for the first time in the whole process, he felt he had been listened to, after his meeting with the police.

"Everything we’ve tried to tell people has been rubbished in the past."

Mr Titford says he now asks the question – who police’s the Crown?

"We’ve had no right to a defence or an appeal all this time," he says.

Sue Titford says she felt torn standing on their former property.

"I guess you could say coming back here, I feel like that, particularly the way our property was taken away," she says.

In the late 1980s Mr Titford claimed he was the victim of incidents, the worst of which culminated in the Titford home being burnt to the ground under suspicious circumstances. The actual cause has never been found.