The Mahia Peninsula Customary Marine Title (CMT) Court Case
There are now some 27 tribal applications for Customary Marine Title (CMT) under Treaty Minister Christopher Finlayson’s controversial Marine and Coastal Area Act, around the New Zealand coast. Any of these can be heard through the High Court, provided that they are registered with the Court, and that each is advertised once, yes ONLY ONCE, in a daily paper circulating in the area of the Claim.
A major application for ownership rights to the foreshore and seabed around the Mahia Peninsula (from Whareongaonga Point in the north, to the Nuhaka River mouth in the west) and including Portland Island, has recently been registered with the High Court by the Rongomaiwahine tribe.
This application covers some 100 km of coast and extends out to 12 nautical miles (22.6 km) from shore, covers at least 2200 square Km of foreshore and seabed – see the map above. Any areas of foreshore and seabed granted CMT become owned by the tribal group, who have the right to declare wahi tapu, areas where the public is prohibited from going.
Fines of up to $5,000 can be imposed if a member of the public enters a wahi tapu area. These areas are likely to be good fishing sites, currently used by the public, so where they occur, the public will be being locked out of some of their current good fishing spots.. As well the tribe gets veto rights on any commercial activity proposed for their Title area, eg wharves, launching ramps, anchorages, marinas, aquaculture, mining, etc, and the right to develop their own management plans for the area, without necessarily any public influence on them.
The Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of New Zealand Inc (CORANZ for short), an advocate for public access and recreational use of the foreshore and seabed, has become the only recreational advocate registered as an “interested person” in this case, representing the interests of the recreational public. CORANZ is an advocacy association, and is not well-heeled, so needs donations from the public to meet our legal bills.
I urge you to support us financially, so we can make a good job of this very important case. Please send donations to:
The Secretary
Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of New Zealand, Inc.
PO Box 1876
Wellington.
We will keep all donors informed on progress with this important case, and provide a receipt.
Dr Hugh Barr, Secretary, CORANZ. 04 934 2244 hugh@infosmart.co.nz