Sir Douglas aims to bridge gap with competing iwi

It's a softly softly approach for Sir Douglas Graham as he lends his weight to unravelling complex competing tribal interests in Auckland.

In 2006 Ngati Whatua o Orakei signed a $90 million Treaty deal, but only a year later the Waitangi Tribunal found that the Crown's decision to give priority to the tribe over others was too "flawed" to go ahead.

The National Government appointed the former Treaty Settlements Minister, who spearheaded both the Tainui and Ngai Tahu deals, as an independent facilitator.

Auckland iwi were "frozen in time" by the situation, Sir Douglas said.

Over the next couple of weeks he plans to meet iwi across the region. Last week he spoke to Hauraki people and yesterday Ngati Whatua o Orakei had a chance to outline concerns.

"To try and get them all together would be a waste of time frankly. They would sit in the corner and wouldn't say anything. I've got to try and help them work their way forward in a way that satisfies everybody.

"It's a matter of working our way through. But there has to be a bit of give and take here and there, a bit of compromise and perhaps generosity of spirit."

He wants to see if there is a case for pushing for a new solution.

"If I don't think I'm making progress in the next two to three months, well - I'll advise them of that and there's not much more I can do.

"I think it's a matter of getting a feel for it and seeing if I can bridge the gap."

But even as the fresh push starts, such is the lingering suspicion among tribes about the process, that the Herald understands the Office of Treaty Settlements has been hit with official information requests from iwi to see government letters sent to Sir Douglas.

Of the two iwi known to have met Sir Graham, neither of their chairmen returned calls yesterday.