Post by Kiwi Frontline on Feb 1, 2016 16:23:31 GMT 12
Council calls for clarity on Maori water rights
The Northland Regional Council is calling on the government to pass a law making it clear that nobody owns freshwater.
It is asking for legislation to confirm the Crown as the caretaker of fresh water on behalf of all New Zealanders.
The council held an unscheduled meeting on freshwater last week at the urging of councillor John Bain.
He said he had reason to believe the government was considering a new regime of tradeable water rights with set allocations for iwi.
Northland Regional Council chair Bill Shepherd said he and others were uneasy that democratically-elected regional councils could lose authority to iwi, as the government tried to accommodate Maori interests in water.
He said the government was talking to Maori but not to regional councils…..
www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/295431/council-calls-for-clarity-on-maori-water-rights
The Northland Regional Council is calling on the government to pass a law making it clear that nobody owns freshwater.
It is asking for legislation to confirm the Crown as the caretaker of fresh water on behalf of all New Zealanders.
The council held an unscheduled meeting on freshwater last week at the urging of councillor John Bain.
He said he had reason to believe the government was considering a new regime of tradeable water rights with set allocations for iwi.
Northland Regional Council chair Bill Shepherd said he and others were uneasy that democratically-elected regional councils could lose authority to iwi, as the government tried to accommodate Maori interests in water.
He said the government was talking to Maori but not to regional councils…..
www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/295431/council-calls-for-clarity-on-maori-water-rights