Parks ‘should remain in Govt hands’

Press, 30 May 1989, Page 3

Parks ‘should remain in Govt hands’

By

JANE DUNBAR

Placing national parks under Maori ownership would be a “soft option” for the Government, the Waitangi Tribunal was told yesterday.

Public lands, such as national parks, should remain in “public ownership and management,” said the vice-president of Federated Mountain Clubs, Mr David Henson. Federated Mountain Clubs is an organisation of clubs involved with mountain recreation. It has about 16,000 members. If Maori land claims were proven, the Government should buy land on the open market for settlement of the claims, said Mr Henson. This would provide for “an equitable spread of the burden over all New Zealand taxpayers” and “a strong economic base for the claimants.” The F.M.C. did not believe Crown land with recreational and conservation values should be returned to the Maori, said Mr Henson. “We believe these lands should remain accessible, without any form of entry charge, to the people of the nation,” he said. Suggestions that ownership of one or more South Island national parks could be placed with Ngai Tahu had raised fears among F.M.C. members. The F.M.C. believed the Maori were seeking economic benefit from any land returned to them, and feared this could result in substantial entry fees to national parks. F.M.C. was also against Crown land covered by pastoral leases being returned to Ngai Tahu. The Government had a legal and political problem, but it would be a soft option to attempt to solve it by transferring public land to Maori ownership, said Mr Henson.

A member of the tribunal, Bishop Manuhia Bennett, said he was concerned about Mr Henson’s “assumptions” being publicised when there was as yet, no basis for them. Ngai Tahu claims before the Waitangi Tribunal were concerned with finding out whether land had been bought legally or not. To say the claims were about seeking economic benefit was “news to me,” said Bishop Bennett. It was also inappropriate to make assumptions about remedies when they had not been decided, he said. Another tribunal member, Mrs Georgina Te Heuheu, asked if F.M.C. would object if nothing changed with national parks except ownership. Mr Henson replied national parks should be owned by the nation, and not a specific group. “Do you think Maori people don’t think land should be available to the public?” asked Mrs Te Heuheu. The first national park had, after all, resulted from a gift to the nation from Maori people, she said. Legal counsel for Ngai Tahu, Mr David Palmer, asked Mr Henson if he had heard any suggestion by Ngai Tahu that rentals for lands or charges for national parks would be increased. “No,” replied Mr Henson. “Do you know Ngai Tahu don’t see any direct financial benefit coming from ownership of national parks?” “I would accept that,” said Mr Henson. Ownership of national parks meant mana for the Ngai Tahu, not a way of establishing a financial base, said Mr Palmer.