Post by Kiwi Frontline on Feb 28, 2018 16:21:24 GMT 12
CUSTOMARY TITLE CLAIMS SEE KAWAU ISLANDERS STRUGGLING TO PAY
With virtually no roads on Kawau Island, wharves and jetties are critical for most islanders to access their properties from the sea.
The cost of maintaining these structures is increasing. But, add to that costs associated with claims under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act, and some islanders are being put under intense financial pressure.
There are more than 70 wharves or jetties of every shape and size on Kawau Is, jutting out into surrounding waters. The majority of them are privately owned.
Sorting through re-consenting issues, including those relating to marine customary titles, is putting serious financial pressure on jetty owners, he said.
With hundreds of customary title applications from iwi, hapu, individuals and whanau groups nationwide to either the High Court or Office of Treaty settlements at the end of March in 2017, it is likely to take years to get through them all.
Many are likely to be declined but, in the interim, as 20-year resource consents for wharves come up for renewal around the coast, owners will have to find and notify any claimants.
"The responsibility lies with the applicant for resource consent to engage with the Customary Title applicant, prior to the lodgement of their application," an Auckland Council spokeswoman advises.
"The council does not notify applications for Customary Title, that is a responsibility of the Crown, to whom the applications are made."
There are around 30 applications for Crown engagement in the Auckland region.
Marris estimates seven involve Kawau Island.
"They must all be contacted via a lawyer," he said.
After spending several months trying to sort the reconsenting out themselves, Max Templeton ended up going to a planner in Warkworth, who handled everything.
This cost $3,500 plus an engineers report for $5,000. The resulting work needed on the wharf then set them back $35,000......
www.stuff.co.nz/national/101511128/customary-title-claims-see-kawau-islanders-struggling-to-pay
With virtually no roads on Kawau Island, wharves and jetties are critical for most islanders to access their properties from the sea.
The cost of maintaining these structures is increasing. But, add to that costs associated with claims under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act, and some islanders are being put under intense financial pressure.
There are more than 70 wharves or jetties of every shape and size on Kawau Is, jutting out into surrounding waters. The majority of them are privately owned.
Sorting through re-consenting issues, including those relating to marine customary titles, is putting serious financial pressure on jetty owners, he said.
With hundreds of customary title applications from iwi, hapu, individuals and whanau groups nationwide to either the High Court or Office of Treaty settlements at the end of March in 2017, it is likely to take years to get through them all.
Many are likely to be declined but, in the interim, as 20-year resource consents for wharves come up for renewal around the coast, owners will have to find and notify any claimants.
"The responsibility lies with the applicant for resource consent to engage with the Customary Title applicant, prior to the lodgement of their application," an Auckland Council spokeswoman advises.
"The council does not notify applications for Customary Title, that is a responsibility of the Crown, to whom the applications are made."
There are around 30 applications for Crown engagement in the Auckland region.
Marris estimates seven involve Kawau Island.
"They must all be contacted via a lawyer," he said.
After spending several months trying to sort the reconsenting out themselves, Max Templeton ended up going to a planner in Warkworth, who handled everything.
This cost $3,500 plus an engineers report for $5,000. The resulting work needed on the wharf then set them back $35,000......
www.stuff.co.nz/national/101511128/customary-title-claims-see-kawau-islanders-struggling-to-pay