May 14, 2018
Officials thwart tikanga process
Tauranga Moana iwi are in Wellington to back up Ngati Whatua Orakei's challenge to the Hauraki settlement and protest the crown's overlapping claims policy.
Orakei is in the Supreme Court today and tomorrow arguing it has exclusive rights to settlement properties in central Auckland.
Charlie Tawhiao from Ngai Te Rangi says his iwi faces similar issues with Hauraki being given properties and rights to have a say on resource consent matters in parts of Tamaki Makaurau.
He says the settlement process has been corrupted by crown officials who impose their own solutions on overlapping interests rather than letting iwi sort out their difference on the marae.
"There's only one way to resolve these issues and that is for iwi to use time honoured traditions to resolve these boundaries through discussion. That process has not only been denied us but has been prevented and thwarted by the crown," says Mr Tawhiao.
Ngai Te Rangi and other iwi opposed to the policy will march on parliament tomorrow.
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