November 27, 2019
Barriers reinforce Lake Horowhenua claim
Signs have gone up declaring Lake Horowhenua closed to the public in what is a challenge by one of the owners to a court ruling that the private Māori owners should not interfere with the 'rights' of the public using the lake.
Phil Taueki from Muaūpoko says the lake and its environs are culturally-sensitive ancestral land that remains in private ownership under a certificate of title issued in 1899.
That ownership was compromised in 1905 by a law that let the public use Lake Horowhenua free of charge and put control in the hands of a crown-appointed domain board.
Mr Taueki says the way the issue has been handled by the crown sets a dangerous precedent for other landowners, and it's time for the Government to follow the recommendations of the Waitangi Tribunal and disestablish the domain board.
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