Posted on 30-1-2004
Government
policy gives Maori 'real power'
Maori holders of customary rights under the Government's foreshore
policy will have real power over others, Solicitor-General Terence
Arnold, QC, argued at a Waitangi Tribunal hearing yesterday.
Mr Arnold was trying to persuade sceptical lawyers acting for
Maori groups that the policy gave power to customary rights
holders including, in some circumstances, a veto over others'
proposed activities.
"Those who have a customary right do have a right to stop
activities that will have a significant impact on that customary
right. That is a real power, a real ability."
But he acknowledged there would be a problem if Maori continued
their apparent opposition to the plans.
Mr Arnold is the Crown's top legal adviser, but his comments
are certain to delight the Opposition, which believes the Government
has been underplaying the potency of the policy because it is
nervous of a Pakeha backlash.
Under the policy Maori groups will be able to have the court
recognise a traditional customary use right on a new type of
"customary title" and have a say over other activities
that might interfere with that right.
The most commonly discussed rights are removal of sand, shingle
and hangi stones, launching waka, protecting burial sites and
declaring rahui - no-go zones when, for example, a drowning
has occurred.
The Government is still thrashing out the criteria that will
need to be met before a group can gain customary title.
The law will declare the foreshore and seabed to be vested
in "the public domain" with public access rights guaranteed.
The Waitangi Tribunal is trying to decide if the policy is
consistent with the Treaty of Waitangi and will seek to complete
its report by the end of next month, before legislation is presented
to Parliament.
Mr Arnold said the policy "does accord real rights to
those who hold customary titles and customary rights. They are
not, with respect, simply in the position of any other person".
"If we assume there is no activity on the beach at all
and we then have a declaration of customary rights, the customary
rights holders take precedence in the sense that nobody can
then get a resource consent which will interfere with the way
those customary rights holders exercise their right."
When the resource consent for an activity in an existing consent
comes to an end, "then the customary right holders' interests
become paramount".
He also pointed out that amendments would be made to the Resource
Management Act to ensure that before an allocation of any space
was made, through zoning rules in plans or through individual
permit applications, customary rights must be considered at
the outset.
If an existing consent significantly impacted on the ability
to exercise the customary right, redress could be negotiated.
And under existing Government policy there were no constraints
on the type of redress, including the vesting of title in an
iwi.
Judge Carrie Wainwright asked how it would be possible to run
the process "if the apparent ill-will to the policy by
Maori" continued.
Mr Arnold: "The hope is that people will participate because
they will see real benefit. If people don't, then there is a
problem ... It can't force people to participate."
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