Maori: Hands off foreshore

By AUDREY YOUNG

Most Maori do not believe the foreshore and seabed should be in Crown hands, according to a DigiPoll conducted last week.

They also think they should be able to take claims for customary title to the Maori Land Court.

But there was varying opinion among the 1000 Maori voters surveyed as to what "customary title" means and few endorsed the view that it should be regarded as "property".

Pollsters also found a dramatic jump in Maori support for New Zealand First and a much greater concern about Treaty of Waitangi issues.

The poll was conducted last week for the Marae television programme and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 per cent.

The Government is about to release its response to a landmark Court of Appeal decision allowing Maori to test claims for customary title to the foreshore and seabed in the Land Court.