The Waitangi Tribunal has found that Māori have residual proprietary rights in bodies of water. In an interim report issued yesterday, the Tribunal found that the Crown will be in breach of Treaty principles if it proceeds with the sale of shares in State-owned power generating companies (the Mixed Ownership Model companies) without first creating a mechanism to preserve its ability to recognize Māori rights. The Tribunal recommended that the Crown urgently convene a national hui to determine a way forward and that the sale of shares in the Mixed Ownership Model companies be delayed while the Treaty partners negotiate a solution.
For more information about the Tribunal's interim report, continue reading this post at the Māori Law Review website.
