Minister for Conservation Kiritapu Allan has fronted Protect Pūtiki protesters at a community meeting on Waiheke Island, revealing in some cases the Department of Conservation (DoC) didn't meet her expectations.
Allan said at Thursday night's meeting that when she returned to work after her cancer treatment, tensions at Pūtiki had heated up and she had questions for her department.
She asked why DoC failed to meet and respond to the community.
"In that regard, the department didn't meet my expectations."
Allan also had an expectation that her department would be on the ground at Pūtiki.
"I understood they weren't, I understand they saw things via cameras that they monitored, and they were monitoring."
She added again in that aspect her expectations weren't met.
Allan said DoC is the "worst paid" department in all of Government.
"These guys are doing what they can. Do they do it right all the time? No."
She added many of the issues addressed at the meeting were "out of the stuff I can do".
"There aren't hooks and levers at this junction for me to be able to do much.
"The powers and levers are really limited."
Towards the end of the minister's speech, several audience members heckled questions at her, which she didn't answer.
"These are unsatisfactory answers, I'm unsatisfied all the time with the bloody answers I get."
Green Party MP for Auckland Central Chlöe Swarbrick also attended the meeting, and as things got heated amongst audience members and the minister, she asked Allan if she would be an advocate around the Cabinet table to allow resources for the community to remove the marina out of Pūtiki Bay.
The hall erupted with applause.
"No, I will be an advocate within my own agencies and around the Cabinet table as to what we can do for conservation, because that's my mandate, that's what I got, and you know that."
Allan's answer was met with more heckling, and Swarbrick can be heard trying to calm tensions down.
A DoC scientist who gave advice to the minister about Pūtiki said he stood by the advice he gave.
"One thing we can all learn is that one of the things going forward is looking at where kororā are around Waiheke."
He added the department has no power to stop the construction.
