May 09, 2014
Pest fence under threat in treaty deal
Waikato iwi Ngati Koroki Kahukura hopes to resolve issues over the ecological reserve at Maungatautari before the third reading of its treaty settlement bill.
The bill passed its second reading yesterday, including a proposal in which title to the mountain will vested in a number of iwi and the Waipa District Council.
Negotiator Willie Te Aho says it was originally supposed to come back to Ngati Koroki Kahukura, but a backlash from some local farmers with strong National Party ties means a compromise was needed.
"We’ve got some owners who still aren’t happy about the fence that runs around the maunga and creates the pest-free environment. We’ve asked the minister to look at solutions and one of the solutions relates to moving the fence off or away from their land so it doesn’t have to be accessed to get to the fence," he says.
The Ngati Haua settlement, which also passed its second reading yesterday, also depends on a resolution of the Maungatautari ownership.
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