Labour pledges to protect Maori land

Press, 14 April 1980, Page 1

Labour pledges to protect Maori land

PA Wellington A -fourth Labour Government would ■ settle all Maori land grievances, said the? Leader of the Opposion (Mr Rowling) yesterday. - He said after a meeting of Labour’s Policy Council that Labour would control and compensate for the taking of any Maori land for energy development purposes; revise planning laws to protect Maoris’ right to. build housing adjacent to maraes; provide specific unemployment, education, and health programmes for Maori .youth; and subsidise maraes to support selfreliance and community economic programmes. Mr Rowling said the announcement was the first of a‘series to Be made over the next week detailing' 'specific measures. ■ , Most important, he said, was ;a clear' expression of the feelings and aspirations of the Maori people. ' i . Some key: points of. the . policy, as finalised by the .Policy Council, yesterday, involved the following proi posals: :i - ; -?•” ’ ■_ • i -—Uphold i and- express Maori 'identity.' : ' J ? ' .and ‘enhance tribal identity. f ? \ —Protect Parliamentary representation. —Guarantee a Maori voice- in any . Labour Cabinet' " ">•: '.■ ' . 5 ' ’ —Fulfil theletter .and. spirit of - the Treaty of Waitangi.- ■ ~ • — Preserve and encour-/ age Maori culture and lan-! guage< --•'Preserve and encourage Maori kin groups. .—.Encourage marae’

housing and amend ‘town and country planning to cater for Maori needs. — Deal with outstanding Maori land grievances. — Control and compensate for the taking of any Maori land for energy development purposes. — Provide specific programmes for Maori youth, with particular reference to unemployment, education, and child health. — Develop a system of marae subsidies to support self-reliance and community economic programmes.

On the Treaty of Waitangi, a Labour Government would:

—Provide a full examination of the contractual rights of the Maori people in relation to the treaty. —Set up a standing authority to hear and adjudicate in specific cases of dispute arising from the treaty.

— Again honour the second article of the treaty in relation to the traditional right of the taking of shellfish for Maori hui, in a manner which is consistent with conservation of resources.

On housing and town and country planning, Labour would: —Revise all town and country planning and associated regulations to protect the right of Maori people to build Whanau and Hapu housing adjacent to maraes and Papakainga. —lnsist for both consultation with and agreement from owners of Maori land and fishing reserves before any of the remaining reserves are taken for any purpose. Mr Rowling also expressed a Labour Government’s standards for Maori land and land grievances.

On land taken by the Crown, a Labour Government would investigate all Maori land which is .no longer used for the purposes for which it was originally taken by the Crown, to return it to the present-day descendants of the original owners.

On the Maori land court:

■ —All ownership records will be updated and placed on a computer facility. —AH remaining Maori land will be surveyed and the titles clearly defined. —Title records will be reconciled and eventually amalgamated with those of the Land Transfer Office. —The economic potential of the land will be added to that data. On the Maori land grievances, a Labour Government would settle all outstanding land grievances; provision will be made for the thorough examination of claims for compensation relating to grievances; and where the facts, properly presented, indicate the justice Of the claim, negotiations will proceed for a just settlement with the descendants of the original owners. „ On Maori reserve lands, Labour would investigate the leasing provisions and bring the governing legislation into line with the provisions relating to leasing contained in the Public Bodies Act.

Detailed provisions to cover the question of the possible ..taking of Maori land for energy development have also been completed.

These would be announced, in conjunction with detailed . assessment of individual outstanding claims, by the shadow Minister for Maori affairs, Mr Wetere, early next week, Mr Rowling said.