National and Act trash Government foreshore policy

4.00pm


The National Party today described the Government's foreshore and seabed policy as a "gigantic fraud" which will allow Maori greater control and create a new grievance industry.

Party leader Don Brash said it was a public relations exercise which delivered neither security nor certainty.

"It paves the way for dual management over our coast, with the words 'ancestral connection' merely substituted for the contentious concept of customary title," he said.

"There are significant new powers for the Government to award 'ancestral connection' leading to co-management and ticket clipping.

"It paves the way for an extension of the Maori Land Court and will undoubtedly open the door on a whole new Treaty grievance industry."

Dr Brash said the reality was that any resource consent that would adversely affect a customary right would be declined.

"Maori would get new rights for consultation and rent seeking, while special Resource Management Act provisions would give greater weight to the Maori point of view," he said.

"Clearly, this represents the Government's long-held belief that there are two standards of citizenship within New Zealand."

The ACT Party's response was similar.

Its Maori affairs spokesman Stephen Franks said ancestral connection orders would be available for any Maori group that can show an "association" with an area of coastline.

"It will give rights to interfere in local government, in perpetuity, and can only poison relations long-term between neighbours," he said.

"It is a form of inherited political power that most of us thought ended when squires no longer ruled."

Mr Franks said ancestral connection had nothing to do with common law.

"It is purely a political device to get peace in our time."

- NZPA