TE AROHA - A Maori claim to historic landmarks in a tiny Thames Valley township has some local people worried.
The Waitangi Tribunal will begin three days of public hearings in Te Aroha today as part of the wider Hauraki inquiry, one of the largest and most complex landclaims yet to be heard by the tribunal.
Ngati Rihiri-Tumutumu has laid claim to parts of the town, including the domain at the foot of Mt Te Aroha with its renowned hot mineral springs.
A separate claim to the mountain is expected to be heard by the tribunal at a later date.
The Mayor of Matamata-Piako, Hugh Vercoe, confirmed yesterday that some residents were worried about the claim but he felt it was an opportunity for local iwi to air their grievances.
"If there are legitimate land issues that need to be dealt with rather than festering away in the background, they should be brought before the tribunal," said Mr Vercoe.
The director of the Waitangi Tribunal, Morrie Love, said the tribunal had limited powers and could only make binding orders on the Crown to return certain state-owned lands and forests.
A claim generally took about six years from the time research began to the completion of a tribunal report, Mr Love said.
"It seems like a long time but the majority of claimants cherish the opportunity to have their day in court as it were.
"Especially during the times of the hearings - which are open to the public - it is an opportunity for communities to gain understanding of the history of the area they live in."
One of Te Aroha's main benefactors, chieftain Mokena Hou, was responsible for numerous gifts of land, including the domain.
A spokesman for the claimants, Tane Mokena, said in a letter to the tribunal that these areas were being claimed because the original conditions of gifting stipulated by his ancestor were not being met.
