Roving group plan for seabed claims

By RUTH BERRY, political reporter

The Government is looking to set up a roving commission which will travel the country assessing claims to the foreshore and seabed.

It would appoint four to eight commissioners for up to two years to assess the claims and make recommendations to the Maori Land Court on whether a "mana whenua" title should be awarded.

The commission is being considered as an alternative to plans to create another division of the Land Court to cope with the expected flood of coastal claims.

Final decisions on the foreshore and seabed policy are yet to be taken.

Revelations yesterday that the title the Government is believed to be proposing would fail to recognise ownership interests or rights - and would protect only customary practices - has brought new calls for protest action.

Matiu Rei, the chairman of a group of iwi representatives, called Te Ope Mana a Tai, which has been briefed by the Government, said protests on the beaches this summer could not be ruled out.

The Government will release its policy next Wednesday and Te Ope Mana a Tai went public after warning Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen it could not support the plans most recently outlined.

The policy, discussed at the Cabinet yesterday, has been difficult for the Government, triggering a series of battles.

Another Te Ope Mana a Tai member, Margaret Mutu, said yesterday that Dr Cullen told the group last week more conservative Cabinet colleagues had knocked back his plans to acknowledge Maori had ownership interests.

Dr Cullen, who will be frustrated by the speculation, refused to comment.

Associate Maori Affairs Minister John Tamihere said no final decisions had been made, but the Government was bracing itself for a backlash.

Officials have privately worried iwi will boycott a working group which will later be set up to review laws which affect coast management.

Officials from different departments have also been at loggerheads over the policy, with Te Puni Kokiri and others worried that the Department of Conservation will get too much control of the coastal marine environment under the plans.

In a memo obtained by the Herald, Te Puni Kokiri suggested the land court should be entitled to award a foreshore and seabed title similar to those it can now award for "land", but subject to caveats protecting public access and preventing sale.

Under its plan, the Land Court would determine what interests and rights would go with the title, including commercial development rights.

But the Government wants to exclude the potential for findings which could establish property rights.