The United Nations (UN)

The United Nations race relations committee says Maori were not adequately consulted about the development of the Ihumatao special housing area near Auckland Airport.

Fletcher Residential got consent to build 480 homes on the site near the sacred Otuataua Stonefields Reserve but now a UN decision has criticised the process.

Pania Newton, spokesperson and co-founder of Save Our Unique Landscape, said the UN decision was issued on Monday and she was pleased with the outcome.

"The UN recommended the Government re-evaluate the special housing area at Ihumatao because they recognise that Maori were not adequately consulted during its designation and that Maori did not give their free prior and informed consent," Newton said this morning.

Cathy Casey, an Auckland councillor, has also congratulated lobby group Save Our Unique Landscape "who took the case against the Special Housing Area at Ihumatao to the United Nations.

"The UN recommends that the designation be reviewed by the Government to 'evaluate its conformity with the Treaty of Waitangi, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other relevant international standards' and that 'the free and informed consent of Maori is obtained before approving any project affecting the use and development of their traditional land and resources.' Now for the Government to follow through," Casey said.

Newton said today the UN committee said iwi and hapu must provide free and informed consent to any developments on their traditional land.

"We will lobby the Government to fulfil their duty to re-evaluate special housing area 62," she said this morning.

Fletcher Residential has consent to build 480 homes near the Otuataua Stonefields Reserve. But early last year, about 300 people held hands in Mangere in a bid to stop the project on what an archaeologist described as "the paddock next to Stonehenge".

Fletcher Building got SHA status for its 480 places on the 32ha site next to the Otuataua Stonefields Reserve.