Foreshore and seabed Heads of Agreement with NgÄÂti Porou

The government and negotiating representatives for Te Runanga o Ngāti Porou today signed a Heads of Agreement to move forward on issues surrounding Ngāti Porou’s special and enduring relationship with the foreshore and seabed.

The first Heads of Agreement to be reached under the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 is an important step forward for Maori and all New Zealanders, Attorney-General Michael Cullen said today.

“This is an important and historic day. That we have been able to reach agreement on a matter on which we all hold strong views reflects the good faith and sincerity with which Ngāti Porou have approached these negotiations,” Michael Cullen said.

The Labour-led government enacted the Foreshore and Seabed law in 2004 in order to provide a unified system for recognising and protecting rights in the foreshore and seabed and by creating a fair framework for working through individual cases.

“The government committed in 2004 to work to protect what are clearly enduring rights of Maori that have been exercised without substantial interruption since before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This Heads of Agreement is a major step in honouring that commitment,” he said.

“The framework protects the interests of ngā hapÅ« o Ngāti Porou now and into the future. It strikes a balance between preserving the public foreshore and seabed for all New Zealanders now and into the future while recognising and protecting longstanding customary interests,” he said.