Press release
Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ
5 Feb., 2015

Concerns Over Water and River Ownership

An outdoor recreation umbrella group is calling for government to take a strong stand against a Maori demand at Waitangi for ownership of water. Andi Cockroft, co-chairman of the Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations of NZ (CORANZ) said water was a public resource and not for ownership by any one ethnic group.

He viewed with alarm a Ngai Tahu statement that a major reason was for “economic development” by Maori business should ownership be granted.

“We live in an egalitarian society where no one group whether it be based on affluence or ethnic ancestry, shall have special privileges of ownership,” he said.

Mr Cockroft said he realised that governments had granted Maori business special privileges as regards sea fishing.

“Even in non-commercial, customary fishing do not have to abide by any rules pertaining to recreational fishing. But that’s no precedent for freshwater.”

Mr Cockroft said ownership would sooner or later bring the spectre of tradeable water rights which meant water generally and the water in rivers would subjected to “wheeling and dealing.” Rivers are a major pillar of outdoor recreation whether it be for trout or salmon fishing, jet boating, kayaking, swimming and other leisure activities. Access would become a vexed question with loss of public ownership.

“We have concerns from an outdoor recreational resource but consigning ownership of water to one group, particularly corporate involvement, would severely impact on farming and other land use,” he said.

ENDS

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