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The chair of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust is welcoming High Court proceedings brought by the New Zealand Māori Council and two of the three Māori-appointed trustees, Sir Edward Durie and Maanu Paul.
The proceedings are about how alternate trustees should be appointed in case of conflicts of interest, and how the trust should resolve disputes.
Angela Foulkes says at the start of July the other trustees suggested a joint application to the High Court for the appointment of new trustees, but Sir Edward and Mr Paul have acted unilaterally.
She hopes it will result in a timely resolution of the matter.
The trust uses interest from the rent from Crown forestry lands to pay for treaty claim research, and the trust has deferred decisions on some claims since March because Ms Foulkes claims some trustees have conflicts of interest.
Since being appointed last year, the New Zealand Māori Council co-chairs have questioned whether the trust was serving the interests of claimants or if it is taking the lead from the Crown.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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