Iwi wants to run Te Urewera National Park

Hikers pause at Lake Waikaremoana, one of the highlights of Te Urewera National Park. Photo / Amos Chapple

Tuhoe have asked that they, not the Department of Conservation (DoC), manage Te Urewera National Park if the Crown passes ownership of the 212,672ha region to the tribe under a Treaty settlement.

It has been in negotiations with the Government for two years, and is still to receive a final Crown offer but has always been clear that ownership of the park is foremost on its agenda.

Chief negotiator Tamati Kruger told the Herald yesterday that Tuhoe had given assurances to the Government that access to some of New Zealand's most rugged and beautiful tracks, Lakes Waikaremoana and Waikareiti "would not be compromised in any way".

"The public access that is available now will not be limited or diminished in any way - what changes is that Tuhoe now owns that area but the public's interests does not change."

However, in a unique settlement feature, Tuhoe had asked the Crown to reconsider DoC's management role at Te Urewera.

The tribe wants to manage the land solely, however, it had put a proposal to government that the tribe and Crown work for up to a decade together co-managing the park during a transition phase.

At the end of that time, DoC and Tuhoe might agree to extend the relationship or terminate it.

Mr Kruger said the tribe would take financial responsibility post-transition. Whether user charges which are currently paid to DoC transfer to the iwi is something that would be worked on during transition.

"We will be talking about things like licences.

"At the moment, you have to get permission from DoC to land a helicopter in Te Urewera and there are charges. During that transition period Tuhoe would be looking at the way DoC do things including their procedures and systems and whether [the tribe] would adopt or change things," Mr Kruger said.

A spokesman for Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson would not comment on the proposal's detail but said parties put up all kinds of proposals which may or may not make it to a final agreement.

"The Government has not made an offer to Tuhoe yet, and the minister does not comment on the details of negotiations. However, the Prime Minister made it clear that in negotiations the Government concentrates on the rights of all New Zealanders, not just the parties it is negotiating with."

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said because negotiations were ongoing there was little she could say.

"But regardless of what final settlement is reached, the public will always have access to their National Parks."

The Department of Conservation also declined to comment.