Tribe: Pay us for air rights

By ANNE BESTON

Maori want to charge for the use of air space above Lake Taupo in a move that would cover floatplane landings, bungy jumping and bridges over rivers.

Ngati Tuwharetoa believe that an agreement which gave them ownership of the Taupo lakebed and the beds of its tributaries and streams entitles the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board to charge a licence fee to commercial operators.

The tribe makes about $1 million a year from an existing fee system.

Under that arrangement, the Departments of Internal Affairs and Conservation charge licence fees for boat ramps, trout fishing, charter boats and fees for marina berths and moorings.

The proceeds are split 50-50 between the Crown and the tribe.

But the board has long been unhappy with the amount it makes from this deal, and is now threatening to charge the Crown for all structures on or over the lakebed and riverbeds.

That could include bridges over rivers not excluded from the 1992 "deed of settlement" agreement with the Government.

It could affect the Hole-In-One golf driving game on the lakeshore near the town, Taupo Bungy north of the town and Taupo's Floatplane.

The board approached the Government 12 months ago to clarify its property rights under the deed, and is now threatening to cancel licences granted for structures such as jetties and wharves.

The Government asked the Crown Law Office for advice, and agreed to begin negotiations with Tuwharetoa Trust Board next week.

Trust Board secretary Rakeipoho Taiaroa would not comment yesterday.

National MP Georgina te Heuheu, sister-in-law of Tuwharetoa paramount chief Tumu te Heuheu, said she could not comment on board business.

"My tribe would not appreciate my discussing it necessarily when it's the guys at home that manage it," she said.

But Conservation Minister Chris Carter, charged with running the negotiations, said "a host of complex issues" was involved.

"I am not going to jeopardise negotiations by making any further comment at this stage," he said.

Taupo Bungy pays a fee to the Taupo District Council because it is on reserve land, cutting Tuwharetoa out of any revenue.

But the board believes that when people jump, they use the air space above the Waikato River and so should be charged.

Taupo Bungy director Alistair MacDonald referred the Herald to the company's environmental manager, who would not comment.

The charging argument potentially affects only commercial activities because the Deed of Settlement guarantees free public access.

The tribe is understood to be getting its half-share of trout fishing licence money, administered by the Department of Conservation and worth around $1.6 million a year, but it is not happy with the system for boat marinas and launching ramps, jetties and wharves administered by the Department of Internal Affairs and worth about $400,000 a year.

Taupo District councillor Shamus Howard, a member of the Taupo-nui-a-tia management board which works with Tuwharetoa to manage the lake and consider commercial proposals, said present fees were low.

Marina berths were about $1000 a year, and a licence to operate a commercial vessel was about $300 a year. Boat ramp fees were about $45 a year.

Taupo's Floatplane owner Allen Campbell said the company paid boat fees of about $400 a year while the plane was on the water, aviation charges and berthing fees.

"I think the fees as they stand at present are quite fair," he said.

"I don't think the trust board get any of that but I'm not sure."

"I think the Maoris do pretty well out of it now."

One source told the Herald charges for boat ramps, marina berths and moorings were likely to rise if Tuwharetoa succeeded in imposing their own charges.

The lake deals

Crown and Tuwharetoa agreed to guarantee access for the public to Lake Taupo and its fishery in 1926.

Tuwharetoa later disputed the agreement, saying the lake and its waters were not part of it.

In 1992, the National Government and Tuwharetoa signed a "deed of settlement" giving ownership of Lake Taupo and its waters to the tribe.

Under this, Tuwharetoa get half of all Taupo fishing licence money and revenue from ramp, marina and mooring charges.