Our beaches are for everyone

Article by Dr Muriel Newman in the Sunday Star Times (Focus section) 24/4/12

Next time you visit the beach, how would you feel if the wheels of your car were clamped and $200 demanded for its release? This is the sort of illegal activity that could become more common under the Government’s new Marine and Coastal Area Act - if events at Matauri Bay in Northland, where a customary marine title claim has been lodged, are anything to go by.

A school principal was confronted by Maori landholders carrying a portable eftpos machine and demanding $800 to remove the clamps from four cars used to ferry students to the popular beach for a surfing lesson. Police were called and the principal has been assured that he will get his money back. But is this a sign of what’s to come under tribal ownership of our coast?

Last year the National Government passed its Marine and Coastal Area Act despite saying that it would first need widespread public support to do so.

That support was never forthcoming. In fact, opposition to the law change during the submission process was overwhelming, but the Maori Party’s Bill was passed anyway opening the way for tribal corporations to claim private title to areas of our coastline - right out to the 12 nautical mile Territorial Sea limit.

Claims are already being lodged, not for the remote areas we were led to believe, but popular coastal areas like 90 Mile Beach and the Hokianga Harbour in Northland as well as Matauri Bay and the Cavalli Islands, Kennedy Bay in the Coromandel, the Mohaka River Mouth in the Hawke’s Bay, and Motiti Island in the Bay of Plenty.

Some iwi are already talking about charging tourist operators and fishing guides for using “their” coastline, and by declaring that areas are of “special significance” to the tribe, they will have the power to keep all visitors away.

See full story here >> https://www.box.com/s/3f8dea698b26c0be7231

Isn't there talk about charging tourists a "Tourist" tax when they arrive for a holiday. Maori are not the only ones trying to make a dollar these days. Is Maori ownership just a figure of speech. They either own them or they don't and is not a man the king of his castle in NZ. There are so many greedies plundering the shellfish to be sold on, that I don't really blame them for making it tough.

There are even greedies amongst Maori, I admit. The far North beaches are pearls amongst our country's treasures and need to be protected from SUV pakeha trashers and motorbike racers and plundering Asians .

The Pacific ocean has a mile wide rubbish dump threatening sea life. Where is it coming from? Have a guess. We all need to respect what we have and take our rubbish home with us.

Joybel
I am afraid the Pacific Rubbish dump is bigger than that, it is twice the size of the US.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-512424/Rubbish-dump-floating-Pacific-Ocean-twice-size-America.html

Yogi, I was up in Whangarei last weekend and on Saturday morning went to the Whangarei Growers Market, the Coastal Coalition had an impressive stall there where they were busy gathering signatures for the 'Citizens Initiated Referendum', I hope they are successful in getting the 320,000 signatures needed.

G'day,

Are Maori doing themselves any favours with this ????....

A Nga Puhi woman living in Sydney says the Parramatta City Council is being intransigent over a piece of land it wants to sell that rightfully belongs to Maori.

Jennifer Holt-Alexander says the Rangihou Reserve, on the banks of the Parramatta River, was given to Maori by Reverend Samuel Marsden 200 years ago.

She wants the land returned by the council so a cultural centre can be built on it for both Maori and the local Darug Aboriginal people.

Ms Holt-Alexander says while not all Maori and Darug people support her, she does have support for her actions, including a 3000-signature petition to the council.

She says the council refuses to say how and when it first acquired the land.

Ms Holt-Alexander says the council won't meet with her or show her the title.

She says the Parramatta City Council wants to sell the land for $25 million.

Ms Holt-Alexander says the council brought forward the sale after she made people aware of what was happening and the land may be sold within a couple of months.
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Cheers.

Well Squirter me old mate, all I can say is, may she have good luck with that because them Aussie 'immigrants' are not a soft touch like the dumbed down, maori indoctrinated, falsely guilt ridden and apathetic Kiwis