June 27, 2017
Overlapping claims policy creating strife
Hauraki Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says it may take strong leadership and fresh ways of thinking to resolve a dispute between Hauraki and Tauranga Moana claimants.
Some Tauranga Moana iwi want to renege on treaty settlement agreements acknowledging Pare Hauraki interests in the rohe.
They want to deny Hauraki a seat on the Tauranga Frameowrk post-settlement co-governance body alongside local government.
Ms Mahuta says the crown’s overlapping claim policy makes it hard for iwi to have the conversations they need with each other to maintain long term relationships.
"Because often it’s not about boundary, it's about interests and rights and responsibilities so when that comes into play maybe there ought to be more scope for iwi to pursue their shared interests in a way that doesn’t cut across one another," she says.
The grounding of the cargo ship Rena, which spread oil and debris along the coast from Waihi to Little Waihi and beyond, showed that decisions about natural resources in Tauranga Moana can also affect Hauraki.
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