Janelle Penjueli - committee member of Omaha Marae - holds a protest sign March 2016-The chairman of nearby Omaha Marae, Roi McCabe, also put forward a submission, saying the protection of wahi tapu in the area should be paramount

A committee member of the marae, Janelle Penjueli, said the consultative process with iwi hadn't been clear.

"We feel as a people we haven't been consulted in this process. We knew nothing about it until the Te Arai Beach Preservation Society called a hui at Tomarata at the beginning of March.