NZ First To Restore Crown Ownership

New Zealand First has pledged to restore Crown ownership of the foreshore and seabed after the next election.

Rt Hon Winston Peters says the passage of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill represents a betrayal of the rights of all New Zealanders, both Maori and non-Maori.

“This legislation has been enacted solely because of a backroom deal between National and the Maori Party. It will only benefit a few Treaty travellers and corporate Maori who stand to make a killing off a resource that rightfully belongs to everyone.

“Some coastal Maori have customary historical rights relating to the foreshore. That was recognised in the previous legislation as was shown when the East Coast iwi Ngati Porou reached a beneficial deal with the Crown over their customary rights.”

Mr Peters says the new law is a shambles that will have to be sorted out in the near future before real and lasting harm is done to race relations and before large areas of the coastline end up privatised and sold overseas.

“Access to our coastal areas is our birthright and these areas must be held in trust by the Crown on behalf of all New Zealanders in perpetuity.”

ENDS

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