A report by Mediaworks presenter Heather du Plessis-Allan that likened Maori sites of cultural significance to "rubbish dumps" has been deemed insensitive.

The item, which appeared on Story which du Plessis-Allan co-hosts with Duncan Garner, looked at how purchasers of Auckland homes near areas of cultural significance may need to get consent from iwi before undertaking structural building work.

During the piece du Plessis-Allan reported from an empty field.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF An article by television presenter Heather du Plessis-Allan lacked 'cultural sensitivity', the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found.

"So this is what an area of cultural significance looks like. This is called a midden," she said.

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"It's where back in the old days Maori used to throw the shells when they'd finished eating their seafood. So it's pretty much a rubbish dump.

"We looked it up - 'midden' is an old Danish word for 'domestic rubbish dump'."

Following the piece a member of the public, Ross Carter, complained to the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) that it was racist and denigrating of Maori culture.

He did not argue that the subject of iwi approval was not worthy of investigation, but said the manner and tone of the broadcast was disparaging.

The worst part was the reference to middens and the use of a dictionary definition to belittle the importance of such a site, he said.

In defence, Mediaworks denied the broadcast was racist and said the definition of midden had been taken from the Auckland Council website.

The point had been to show that areas of cultural significance were sometimes "unremarkable in their appearance".

In their decision, the BSA agreed with Carter that the manner and tone of the item was potentially objectionable.

"Having viewed the broadcast several times, we are sympathetic to Mr Carter's view that Ms du Plessis-Allan's report could be seen as carrying racist undertones.

"She seemed incredulous that regard should be had to certain culturally significant sites, including the 'midden'...the report lacked cultural sensitivity and we can understand how some viewers would have seen it as racist."

However, the BSA did not believe the report portrayed sufficient malice against Maori for it to intervene or limit the right to freedom of expression.

The piece addressed legitimate issues that were in the public interest and were presented as the fault of the Auckland Council, rather than the iwi.

Mediaworks has been contacted for comment.

Victoria University Maori Department associate professor Peter Adds said middens were essentially rubbish dumps, but could be of great archeological importance to both researchers and iwi.

They were also often "pointers" to nearby settlements.

"Archeologists tend to treat middens as better than other sites because of the information they can reveal about all sorts of things such as the economy."

The presenter has already been in the headlines this week after penning a column where she claimed the north Waikato town of Ngaruawahia was "rotting".

The small town took offence to du Plessis-Allan's view and invited her to come and see for herself what the location had to offer.