It could take several weeks for the Office of Treaty Settlements (OTS) to analyse more than 2000 submissions it received on the revised Tuhoronuku deed of mandate for settlement of Ngapuhi Treaty grievances.
The completed analysis will then go to Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson and Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples to decide whether or not to recognise the mandate.
If an overwhelming majority of submitters accept the revised mandate and the ministers recognise it, elections to select Tuhoronuku representatives to begin settlement negotiations with the Crown could soon follow.
If the submissions reject the revised mandate, the ministers will have to go back to the drawing board for the settlement solution the Government seeks before next year's general election.
And in the meantime the Waitangi Tribunal will proceed with its 21-week Te Paparahi o Te Raki inquiry, due to end in May 2015.