December 11, 2013
Peters picks up fringe foreshore scaremongering
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the Government has opened up a Pandora's box with the Marine and Coastal Area Act.
Mr Peters has picked up allegations in Investigate Magazine that the process of giving iwi customary title would mean major areas of the coastline will to be closed off to other New Zealanders.
About 18 claims are currently going through the assessment process, including Ngati Porou's claim for last stretches of the East Coast, Rongomaiwahine's claims around Mahia, Ngati Pahauwera's tono in northern Hawkes Bay, and Ngati Porou ki Hauraki's claim at Kennedy Bay.
Mr Peters says he doesn't believe assurances from Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson, because everything is being done in secret.
"Why isn't he telling and why isn't John Key and Pita Sharples telling the country what is going on? But they won't. So on the one hand they will go to Maori and say 'you can make these claims,' and on the other hand they are not prepared to defend them in public, so that is not a circumstance that brings about national unity," he says.
Mr Peters says holders of customary title will be able to veto resource consent applications made by other New Zealanders, even if it means giving up imptant economic benefits for the regions.
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