Claims for water, geothermal resources | Northland News | Local News in Northland

Former Minister of Maori Affairs Dover Samuels has dubbed the Maori Council claim over fresh water and geothermal resources as "cultural hypnosis".

He was hoping yesterday that the Waitangi Tribunal would refuse to hear the claim, warning that it could open a Pandora's box for more claims of the same nature involving air and sunlight.

The Government had given Maori co-ownership of some rivers and rights over some lake beds, but no race owned the fresh water, Mr Samuels said.

"It's a natural resource, a birthright of all New Zealanders," he said.

"If this is not clear in the present legislation, Parliament needs to have courage and clarify it."

Mr Samuels said Maori had a traditional ritual relationship with the sun and now that a claim for water had been made, further claims for air and sunlight could follow. "This type of cultural hypnosis has a real chance of dividing the nation," he warned.

Mr Samuels also questioned Maori Council chairman Sir Graham Latimer - who turned 86 on Tuesday - filing the claim, which seeks an urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearing into the sale of state-owned power companies and claims regarding water and geothermal use. Sir Graham is in poor health and Mr Samuels said the council leader's mana was clearly being exploited.

He said where there was an argument of principle between the Crown and Maori, it was time to identify what the terms, defined in 1840, meant in the modern era.

"We must try to identify 'Crown' and 'Maori' now ... They are symbols from the past," he said.

"There has been rapid integration and we are moving into a new generation."

The Maori Council claim says that before the Treaty of Waitangi, Maori owned all the fresh water and geothermal resources of the country and the Crown had breached the Treaty by removing Maori ownership of the resources without compensation or consent.

The council is asking for compensation for losses in the form of the return of water resources or substantial shareholdings for Maori in the Crown's four power generators.

Until a settlement is reached, the council is asking for the plan to partly privatise the four state-owned assets to be put on hold.