Iwi group Treaty Tribes Coalition and urban Maori will consider a compromise to settle years of litigation over the distribution of $800 million in fisheries assets.
Dumped Waitangi Fisheries Commission chairman Sir Tipene O'Regan said on Friday that the Crown would be sued if it bowed to urban Maori demands for a direct slice of the assets.
But he suggested a possible solution was for the Crown to hand over its 10 per cent share in Moana Pacific Fisheries, worth about $10 million, to double the value of a proposed urban Maori trust fund.
That found favour yesterday with urban Maori advocate and Labour MP John Tamihere. And the Treaty Tribes Coalition, which represents 25 mainly East Coast iwi, said it would consider the idea.
The compromise could end years of dispute over how to divide assets held by the commission as a result of the 1992 settlement of Maori treaty claims over fisheries.
A proposed allocation model includes a $10 million trust fund for urban Maori organisations but they argue that is not enough and are challenging the model in court.
Mr Tamihere said he supported the proposition but wanted the fund raised to $30.5 million, which would be enough to "stop the litigation."
The alternative was "one of the most comprehensive and largest claims this country has ever seen, because we [urban Maori] are the most disenfranchised and disaffected by so-called colonisation. We are the worst affected by all the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi."
To meet Mr Tamihere's demand iwi would have to give up a further $10 million and the Government would have to hand over the Crown's share in Moana Pacific.
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia could not be reached for comment last night.
Treaty Tribes chairman Harry Mikaere said his group would look at it closely, but urban Maori would have to cease all litigation.
It also wanted the Maori Fisheries Act amended so that it contained a definition of iwi.
It was possible the coalition would support boosting the fund to $30.5 million, he said.
"That's subject to me going back to my 25 tribes and getting their support."
Treaty Tribes have estimated that delays to allocation of the assets is costing $1 million a month, so they could save money by agreeing to boost the urban trust fund.
The new Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission meets for the first time today. Its urban Maori representatives, June Jackson and June Mariu, are expected to announce that urban Maori will step back from litigation.
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