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Piripi calls for calm over beach concerns - TUESDAY JUNE 29,2010

Northland MP John Carter and Te Runanga o Te Rarawa chairman Haami Piripi agree that there is no cause for alarm over access for non-Maori to iconic stretches of Northland's coastline if iwi win title under the new foreshore and seabed law. In fact Mr Piripi believes that public access could be improved.
The five Muriwhenua iwi are expected to join forces to seek title to the east coast stretching from Doubtless Bay to Cape Reinga, and down the west coast as far as the Hokianga Harbour, once the government's new legislation opens the door to claiming customary title over the foreshore and seabed.
Top of the iwi wish list are spiritually significant locations such as 90 Mile Beach (Te Oneroa a Tohe) and Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga Wairua), although some non-Maori have begun expressing fears that they could be shut out of Northland's most precious beaches.
Mr Piripi said last week that such fears were unfounded.
Customary title could allow iwi and hapu to veto development, and give them the right to protect seafood resources and wahi tapu, but it would not allow them to sell the coastline or bar anyone from it.
"There would be no reduction in access. In fact, we're hoping to enhance public access," he said, adding that those who wanted to visit 90 Mile Beach were currently limited to a few poorly maintained access points.
"We could do much better, and we could provide better-defined areas for recreation and a better brand of hospitality," he said.
Customary rights also opened up some commercial rights - many tourism businesses used the beach - but that was well down the iwi's list of priorities.
The new law, which has yet to come into effect, sets high hurdles for iwi hoping to stake a claim to the coast. To have a chance of winning title in the courts they have to prove "exclusive use" since 1840.
While conceding that the new foreshore and seabed law was "far short of what we had been hoping for," Mr Piripi said it was still a significant step forward.
"We haven't had customary title before. It recognises we've been here for a long, long time," he said.
Arthur Kapa (Te Aupouri) said his iwi and Te Rarawa first applied for ownership of 90 Mile Beach in the 1950s, but there had never been any intention to bar anyone, including Pakeha, while Ngati Kahu's Professor Margaret Mutu said protecting the coast was at the heart of customary title, which she hoped would reassure people about her tribe's intentions.
Ownership of the coast would be in the Maori sense, meaning it could not be sold and it would be the iwi's responsibility in terms of looking after it.

TESTS
Mr Carter said the new legislation would set out tests under which iwi might apply to the High Court for recognition of customary title. While iwi might make applications for areas such as around 90 Mile Beach and Cape Reinga, their focus would be on enhancing and conserving the marine environment, which would be good for everyone.
"Customary title is not about excluding people," Mr Carter said.
"The agreement reached between National, the Maori Party and iwi leaders guarantees that public access and existing navigation and fishing rights will be protected.
"Existing Maori and Pakeha private titles will continue unaffected."
Guaranteeing public access and protecting the interests of all New Zealanders was the National government's bottom line in terms of repealing the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004, he added. The solution to the legislation that had created widespread grievance amongst Maori would be enduring and just. It would protect the principle of public access to the foreshore and seabed, and put in place a way for iwi to have their interests recognised.