New Research Highlights Lack of Consultation
te-pati-maori
Thu Jun 07 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
New Research Highlights Lack of Consultation
Thursday, 7 June 2007, 10:01 am
Press Release: The Maori Party
Failure to Consult Indigenous People in their Coastal Management Highlighted in New Research says Maori Party
Tariana Turia, Co-leader, Maori Party and Fisheries Spokesperson
Wednesday 6 June 2007
New research from the Australian National University which argues that improvements are required in the ways in which both New Zealand and Australia facilitate the involvement of their indigenous peoples in the management of their marine territories and resources is extremely timely says Tariana Turia; fisheries spokesperson for the Maori Party.
The new study released this week by Sarah Hemmingsen from ANU College of Science, concludes that although one would think Te Tiriti o Waitangi would place Maori in a better position to exercise control over their traditional coastal territories than Aboriginal peoples, there is “a great deal of room for improvement in both countries”.
“The research rings true for Aotearoa” said Mrs Turia.
“Little over a month ago, Te Ohu Kaimoana told the Select Committee that the Fisheries Act 1996 Amendment Bill “lacked appropriate consultation with industry or those parties it would affect prior to the Bill’s introduction” said Mrs Turia.
“As a result of the frank advice from the sector, including that Maori were concerned that the Government’s proposal could reduce the value of the Maori fisheries settlement, the Primary Production Committee requested a three month extension – to do what the Government had failed to do – to honour the Treaty partner”.
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"Any reduction in the value of the Treaty of Waitangi Maori Fisheries Settlement as the result of a shared fisheries regime will have to be compensated for by the government; that should also be part of the consultation " said Mrs Turia.
“What sort of example does that Crown give to local government, if Maori are just treated as another stakeholder in the Shared Fisheries proposal?” asked Mrs Turia.
“It is recognised good practice in Aotearoa, that any applicants for resource consent should consult tangata whenua” said Mrs Turia. “This has been the case since Te Urupare Rangapu was published in 1988 – obligations which were later endorsed in the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA)”
Clause 3 (1) (d) of the First Schedule of the RMA requires local authorities to consult with tangata whenua when preparing or changing a plan of policy statement (including coastal plans, water, soil and land plans).
“There is, of course, a higher obligation on consent authorities, and a stricter duty on the Crown, to consult with tangata whenua when they know tangata whenua have a special relationship with the area affected by a proposal” said Mrs Turia.
“Hemmingsen’s research compares the ‘legacies of colonialism’ in the way in which they have impacted on resource sovereignity for Maori and indigenous Australian peoples” said Mrs Turia.
“She points out that in New Zealand, there has been no additional funding allocated for the consultation process intended by the RMA to take place and recommends improvements are needed in the ‘national situation’” said Mrs Turia.
“It is now part of the record, that Maori leaders and representatives have opposed the Shared Fisheries plans, describing the discussion process as ‘woefully inadequate’ and the Ministry’s document as ‘divisive’.
“Perhaps this latest study, will help the Government to see the value in talking with Maori about coastal management, before yet another bad international headline is published” said Mrs Turia.
ends
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