New Zealand Government and Maoris Clashing Over Land Sale In Auckland: Maoris Want First Preference Over Private Developers

The New Zealand government’s plan to sell big chunks of land in Auckland to private developers to ease the housing pressure is turning into a clash with the ethnic Maoris. The group is angry at the government’s move to sell the land directly to buyers. The Ngati Whatua is consulting lawyers on a legal action because it wants its primacy respected in terms of buying the land as enshrined under the "Treaty" settlement. The government, it seems, got its own plans and may go ahead with the sale of land to developers.

In the recent budget, the New Zealand government announced that 500 hectares of public land will be sold to developers for adding new housing supply in Auckland. The precedent in public land sale has been, iwi first, and only when Maoris refuse, the land can be sold to another party, reports 3 News. “We're taking legal advice to see if our Treaty settlement has been circumvented," says Ngati Whatua deputy chairman Ngarimu Blair. However, Housing Minister Nick Smith is keen to bring private developers on board to sell off the land.

Legal Option

The minister is harping on the legality of selling to private developers on the plank of "public housing use" as dictated by the 60-year-old Housing Act. That technicality can be a loophole to bypass the claims of Maoris and sell the land straight to the developers. “Most people would accept that Auckland does have a substantive housing problem and that the Government should be using its public land under that Housing Act," says Dr Smith.

Rejecting the minister’s arguments, Nghati Whatua says it can do a better job at developing the land. Ngati Whatua says it has assets worth nearly NZ $700 million and can develop the land better. "We'll pay a fair market value for it, and we would build houses as well. That's what we currently do,” says Blair.

Free Houses Sought

Meanwhile, Te Runanga o Te Rarawa, chairman Haami Piripi says iwi actually want the government to transfer state houses to them at zero cost. The demand is at variance with National’s stated position of getting a “fair and reasonable” price for taxpayers in pushing ahead with the transfer of 2000 state owned housing units to community groups. “We would argue that the market price is zero,” the Northland iwi leader said and added “the outcomes will far outweigh the cost." Stretching the argument further for a pan New Zealand basis, the Maori leader said his ethnic group is looking to negotiate a deal as a collective of iwi. That is because "we are the best-placed entities to do the business," added Rarawa.

(For feedback/comments, contact the writer at k.kumar@ibtimes.com.au)