A misunderstanding between the Maori Trustee and a court led to a Whangarei law firm being directed to hold more than $100,000 in compensation payment by Top Energy to landowners in the Far North.
The Maori Land Court in June ordered lines operator Top Energy to pay $105,000 for easement on four blocks of multiple-owned Maori land over which a 110,000-volt electricity transmission line and power pylons from Kaikohe to Kaitaia will run to improve consistency of power supply in the Far North.
Top Energy applied to the court for easements over the blocks, known as Whakataha Z1C, Paparimurimu B, Paparimurimu A3 and Part Tapapanui B4D2.
Trustees administer Whakataha Z1C, while the other three blocks do not have any governance structures in place.
As per the court order, Whakataha Z1C will receive $65,000, Part Tapapanui B4D2 $18,500, Paparimurimu B $10,500 and Paparimurimu A3 $6500.