August 14, 2014
Fund no substitute for spectrum
The New Zealand Maori Council says the creation of a $30 million Maori technology fund to be administered by Te Mangai Paho doesn’t qualify as a settlement to Treaty of Waitangi spectrum claims.
Co-chair Maanu Paul says Communications Minister Amy Adams chose to ignore the findings of the Waitangi Tribunal and the courts in setting up the fund.
The fund is the Government’s substitute for allocating to Maori any of the spectrum needed for the next generation of mobile data networks.
Mr Paul says the issue is still unresolved.
"The issue is who owns the taonga? It certainly isn’t the government. We want to know why this government thinks it has the audacity to be able to allocate $30m as compensation for our share of, or our ownership of the spectrum," he says.
Te Mangai Paho chair Piri Sciascia welcomed the new fund, saying it will allow the Maori broadcast funding agency to promote ICT investment strategies that include both the both traditional and emerging technologies that broadcasters need.
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