Iwi eye minerals for Treaty talks

Coromandel Peninsula iwi want to put the rights to mineral wealth on the table as they head into Treaty negotiations and the Government talks about mining on conservation land.

Marutuahu confederation spokesman Paul Majurey said although members hadn't formally discussed the issue the group had indicated last year that access to mineral wealth and the Department of Conservation estate were two "big ticket" items on its agenda. That position hadn't changed.

But getting the Government to agree to discuss the issue is a long shot as the Crown says minerals belong to it. "We're going into negotiation and this is one of the things that is clearly on our radar," Mr Majurey said.

The Crown's proposal was timely as it would influence how the group approached settlement "and that part of our settlement involving DoC lands, schedule four [land] and ownership of minerals".

Hauraki Maori Trust Board deputy chairman Harry Mikaere said the board had yet to discuss the proposal but he wasn't personally opposed to mining. "There's not too many things that can drive revenue and that can get iwi up into that high level of economic development.

"I think it could be one of the best things that's ever happened to this country." He said Maori being involved in all aspects of mining - including receiving royalties - wasn't an "off the planet" idea.

A Government insider said it was interesting National ministers had indicated a proportion of royalties from mining activities could be directed to a conservation fund.

Usually royalties go straight to the Crown accounts. The change could see Maori argue royalties could now be set aside for tribes given that money may be set aside for other specific purposes.

"It's an interesting Pandora's box."

The head of Victoria University's Te Kawa a Maui, Peter Adds, was involved in previous attempts to negotiate settlements in Taranaki, where tribes independently took an oil and gas claim to the Waitangi Tribunal.

That claim was unable to move the Government on the royalty issue, and he rated it a severe outside chance that anything would change.

"In all of those negotiations oil and gas came up, and in all of those discussions oil and gas were said to be off the table. So it was a big fat 'no'.

"The Government's position is that [minerals are] maintained in the national interest. Mind you, they said that about the conservation estate and of course that's been slipping into Treaty settlements as well."

Where the Maori Party sits on this issue is unclear.

A spokeswoman said the caucus had not been directly approached by tribes to tell it how it should advocate for iwi and hapu on the issue.