Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere says the Government’s proposed changes to the Marine and Coastal Areas Act could be the largest seizure of Māori interests since the 1860s.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Government plans to revise the act, originally passed by the National-Māori Party Government in 2011, in response to a Court of Appeal ruling. This ruling defined the customary interests of Whakatōhea hapū and neighboring iwi in the eastern Bay of Plenty. The Government disagrees with the court’s interpretation and wants to set higher standards for such claims.
Goldsmith, speaking on behalf of the Government, said they would introduce new legislation to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision. He emphasized that the goal is to ensure that the public has confidence in the fairness and consistency of these tests. “We want to balance the fact that all New Zealanders have an interest in what happens on the coast, and customary marine title provides valuable rights. So, the test was always intended to be challenging but not impossible.”
Tamihere recalled that in 2003, when he was a Government MP, Winston Peters had offered New Zealand First’s support for a bill nationalizing the foreshore following the Ngāti Apa judgment. Instead, Labour left room for customary rights claims, which Peters and his coalition partners now want to close.
“This issue has seen 40 years of litigation under the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 and the 2011 Marine and Coastal Areas Act. Our people have spent millions on legal procedures, Waitangi Tribunal claims, and court cases, only to have a small party try to strip away these hard-earned rights,” Tamihere said.
He also criticized the Act Party, noting that they strongly protect property rights except when it comes to Māori property.