Foreshore claims soaring says National Party

By KEVIN TAYLOR

About 2400km of New Zealand's coastline covering 5.2 million hectares is now under claim in the Maori Land Court, says the National Party.

Leader Bill English said yesterday that the number of applications by Maori for title had "exploded" from four to 19 since June 19, when the Court of Appeal allowed eight iwi to have their claim to the Marlborough seabed and foreshore heard by the Maori Land Court.

The party made its calculations after Herald revelations last week that Maori groups have lodged claims for most of the North Island's east coast since June 19 and others are preparing rushed applications.

In June Prime Minister Helen Clark proposed a change to reassert state ownership of the seabed and foreshore, reversing the Appeal Court's ruling that iwi groups could assert customary rights through the Land Court.

A compromise is now likely, allowing iwi to test their customary rights in the Land Court.

Last week the Government said legislation would be introduced by the end of the year.

The Cabinet is today understood to be considering and signing off on its decisions before the issue goes to the Labour caucus tomorrow.

Mr English said the Government's timetable of legislation by the end of the year meant consideration of the claims could be well advanced.

"In the meantime it will get harder and harder for Labour to contain Maori expectations with any kind of deal.

"These claimants are following a process that could lead to the granting of extensive private title, and Labour has so far done nothing to dampen expectations, let alone prevent it."

National MP Nick Smith did the calculations on the length of coastline and area covered by the claims. Confirmation of his calculations was unavailable from Associate Courts Minister Margaret Wilson's spokeswoman yesterday.

Meanwhile, Act leader Richard Prebble told the party's Wellington regional conference on Saturday that National's approach to declare all beaches Crown property was "knee-jerk" and did not stand up.

"What about wharves, jetties?" he asked in a speech. "If the sea erodes your property, does the Crown also nationalise your title?"

Mr Prebble said Act's solution was for the Government to say it was in the national interest that there be free access to beaches and Crown ownership of the seabed.

"In the unlikely event of anyone winning a court declaration of any customary title in conflict with public ownership, then and only then will the Crown purchase the title in just the same way as land is bought for a public road."