Here’s my take on the Foreshore and Seabed Consultation Document that was released last week.
There are four Options on offer.
Option 1 – Crown Notional Title – this option is pretty close to what the hikoi was demanding. Customary title would be restored, but when customary interests are investigated and found not to amount to customary title, the Crown’s notional title becomes absolute title. Maori get to have our customary interests tested, as we demanded during the hikoi, but if they find against Maori, we lose everything.
Option 2 – Crown Absolute Title – which is what the present situation is. If Maori are honest, the world hasn’t caved in, and Ngati Porou directly negotiated a deal that pretty much works for them. Other iwi can do the same.
Option 3 – Maori Absolute Title – what many Maori want now, which is more than what we wanted at the time of the hikoi. If all New Zealanders are honest, the world wouldn’t cave in. There would be a process for determining who holds ownership in any given area, access to the beach for all New Zealanders would be guaranteed and it wouldn’t be able to be sold on.
Option 4 – “Public Domain/ takiwa iwi whanui” – what the government want. If the government are honest it offers Clayton’s ownership – The ownership Maori have when we won’t really be owners. No one get to own the Foreshore and Seabed. Maori could go to court to test for territorial interests, which are property interests in land generally akin to ownership rights, but not actual ownership rights.
Personally any of the options would be okay by me. As long as hapu and iwi get to have a say over what happens on their own areas of the Foreshore and Seabed and their interests aren’t overridden by local government, central government or big business, then I’m happy.
I’ll still be able to head out to Ninety Mile Beach to go floundering, get some tuatua or put my long line out regardless of which option is implemented.
My concern is that when it’s all settled, the real issues that are weighing Maori down – unemployment, poverty, under achievement, poor health outcomes, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, incarceration rates and lower life expectancy will still prevail for Maori.
So let’s settle this once and for all, and then get on to dealing with the issues that will improve outcomes for all Maori.