Marine and Coastal Area Bill hearings ignoring non-Maori

Many non-Maori submitters opposed to the Government’s Marine and Coastal Area Bill are not getting a fair hearing in front of the select committee, the Coastal Coalition says.

Dr Hugh Barr, a long-time advocate for public access to New Zealand’s coast and wilderness areas, says that in many areas, non-Maori submitters are only getting four minutes or less to speak and are being heard in groups while Maori submitters are getting as much time as they need.

“I was restricted to only five minutes at a Wellington hearing even though I had been allocated fifteen minutes to present a submission for the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations” Dr Barr said.

“It’s not acceptable that people who have made the significant effort of attending the hearings are being short-changed by not getting the time needed to state their case.
“There is major opposition to this Bill, whether the Government wants to hear it or not, and all submitters should be treated the same.”

The Coastal Coalition is an umbrella group formed to raise awareness about exactly what the Bill will do if it becomes law.

The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill -

• Removes Crown (that is, you and me) ownership of the seabed and foreshore and puts it up for grabs by any iwi group that claims a customary interest

• Allows iwi to lay claim for customary title and have it granted by Minister Chris Finlayson - in secret and without any right by anyone to an appeal

• Allows iwi to claim customary title in areas where they own no adjoining land

• Allows the creation of wahi tapu areas where the public can be banned

• Allows iwi to over-ride the Resource Management Act with the right to veto and extract payment for everything that happens on their stretch of coast

“This Bill is important as it will strongly affect the rights of all New Zealanders. If necessary the select committee should extend the submissions process to ensure that everyone gets a fair hearing,” Dr Barr said.

ENDS

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