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The chair of the Marutuahu Collective says central Auckland has always been a hotly-contested area, and the Court of Appeal was right to find Ngati Whatua Orakei did not have exclusive rights.
Orakei is considering whether it should ask the Supreme Court to look at yesterday's Court of Appeal decision that there was nothing to stop the crown offering Ngati Paoa two properties in what the hapu says is its back yard.
Paul Majurey says the collective settlement process which Ngati Whatua participated in between 2007 and 2009 was an attempt to put to rest long standing divisions while acknowledging those with historical interests.
That's why the court was right to find Ngati Whatua Orakei could not veto other iwi settlements.
"There's a piece of evidence Ngati Whatua Orakei tried to suppress at the Court of Appeal. It was a memo from the crown that addressed the fact that Orakei had tried to get exclusivity and that was rejected. So they went into this with open eyes. There's no surprises. The interests of the many tribes, Waiohua, Ngati Whatua, Marutuahu, they've been opposed for a long long time in Tamaki Makaurau,." Mr Majurey says.
Other iwi do not accept Ngati Whatua's claim to be the leading mana whenua group in Tamaki Makaurau.
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