Maori sue Government over revenue from forest

The Government is being sued for breaching Treaty of Waitangi agreements after naming itself as beneficiary for Crown forest rentals worth $63 million.

The Maori Council and Federation of Maori Authorities have filed an application in the High Court at Wellington against the Attorney-General crying foul after the Government set itself up as beneficiary of 52ha of forestry land at Kaingaroa while settling a Te Arawa claim.

The council and federation claim the Government stands to benefit to the tune of $63 million in forest rental payments as the new beneficiary of the land, which is in breach of an agreement reached in the 1980s.