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Whanganui River descendants have until Friday week, July 11, to register and vote on the settlement of the tribe’s river claim.
A round of information hui finished this weekend with hui at Ratana and Putiki, but people can still register through the Whanganui River Maori Trust Board and vote electronically.
Spokesperson Gerard Albert says the essence of the settlement is to give the river its own legal personality as a way to create a new framework for management of natural resources.
"It’s the most simple approach to a natural resource,treating it as you would yourself,so the legal personality was created to accord with the way in which we hold a relationship with out river and Maori do generally.From that stems the fundamental rights that can be recognised in law.That approach is understood by people and they latch on to that very quickly,"he says.
Mr Albert says people are also voting on the post-settlement entity to replace the Whanganui River Maori Trust Board and other trusts.
For more information http://www.wrmtb.co.nz/
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH GERARD ALBERT CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTk3MTQ=
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