March 10, 2014
Court limits CFRT actions
The Crown Forestry Rental Trust will today consider the critical issue of continued funding for Ngapuhi’s Te Paparahi o Te Raki hearings.
But everything else is off the agenda until a row about its membership is resolved.
The trust, which is sitting on $300 million of accrued rentals, is waiting for a High court judgment on whether its Maori appointers have changed a trustee.
The New Zealand Maori Council and the three Federation of Maori Authorities representatives on the appointors’ committee say they replaced Mangatu chair Alan Haronga with Port Nicholson Settlement Trust chair Neville Baker last month.
Crown trustees refused to seat Mr Baker after the federation executive said it wasn’t accepting the decision.
In a memorandum issued yesterday, Justice Joe Williams said today’s meeting can go ahead with three Crown and two Maori-appointed trustees.
But it can only discuss urgent issues in the Porirua ki Manawatu inquiry and applications from Hokianga and Whangaroa hapu for the accredited claimant status that opens the funding tap.
That means issues like whether crown-appointed trustee Angela Foulkes can continue as chair for another year will have to wait.
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