Aiming high: 60 Treaty claims in five years

A light moment for Pita Sharples as he translates the words of Maori speakers for John Key at Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Mangere. Photo / Kenny Rodger

More Government money will be spent on making Treaty settlements happen more quickly despite worsening economic conditions, Finance Minister Bill English says.

On Wednesday, Mr English was one of a group of senior National and Maori Party members, including Prime Minister John Key and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples, who invited groups from around the country to come up with ideas to speed the process.

With 60 claims to be settled, National's 2014 "target" - politicians were loath to call it a deadline - for settling all claims looked to be unachievable, they said in Mangere.

"We're getting ourselves organised for settlements ... We want to back the rhetoric with money," Mr English said.

The minister did not put a figure on how much extra money groups such as the Office of Treaty Settlements and the Waitangi Tribunal would get, but Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson said it could be $5 million.

Mr English said that although the Government's books were worsening and debt levels could treble, spending more on completing settlements could have offsetting benefits.

These included spinoff regional economic development, and iwi focusing on "getting ahead, rather than getting more money out of the Crown".

The climate was ripe for iwi and the Crown to put together deals that would make settlement dollars go further.

"Asset values are relatively low compared to even two years ago," he said.

"Assets acquired [by iwi] in the next year or two will be cheaper ... but the future value of that can grow quite significantly."

Tainui leader Tuku Morgan, who flew to Dubai yesterday to meet the same royal family who unsuccessfully bid for Auckland Airport, said accelerating the settlement process did not need more strategies.

Deals could be done under the current system, and every day tribes waited wasted opportunities.

He would not be drawn on whether Tainui was moving to buy the Hamilton or Auckland airports, but said relationship building was important between the groups.

Mr Morgan was confident National would eventually allow the sale of airports.

"They will not sell in their first term but they haven't said they won't in their second term. We have to be poised ready to go."

HURRY IT UP

Seven Government proposals to speed up the Treaty settlements process:
* Involve the Waitangi Tribunal more in mediation and reduce litigation.
* Give iwi help to prepare for negotiation.
* Have neighbouring groups negotiate with the Crown at the same time.
* Crown to indicate early which groups it intends to negotiate with and the expected value of redress.
* Make more use of Crown-funded facilitator and chief negotiator.
* Groups of iwi who have a common asset interest to decide allocation of it among themselves.
* Streamline legislation by drafting bills and deeds of settlement together.