September 02, 2015
City iwi to face off in court
The contest among iwi for Auckland land is hotting up with Ngati Paoa the latest the threaten court action.
Negotiators Morehu Wilson and Hauauru Rawiri say they’re disappointed Ngati Whatua o Orakei is challenging the Crown’s proposal to give it land in central Auckland as part of its treaty settlement.
They’re also concerned at Waikato Tainui’s refreshed claim from the First hot Thames to Mahurangi Peninsula.
They say that’s an attempt by an iwi that has already settled to renegotiate with the crown, that will delay others from reaching settlement.
Mr Rawiri says Ngati Paoa is cashed up from receiving part of its court action, and it’s ready to go to court to defend its history.
But Ngati Whatua Orakei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair says the iwi has been clear throughout its negotiations about what should be done with land in central Auckland.
"If it wasn’t to pass to Ngati Whatua, it should just be put into the right of first refusal process which is the shared process which we have agreed and everyone has their turn there so what we are saying is that to transfer it as part of an individual treaty settlement to another iwi apart from us in the central area is a breach of tikanga and of kawa," he says.
Ngarimu Blair says Ngati Whatua Orakei is trying to close the door on a flawed crown policy that is pitting tribes against each other.
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