Geoff Parker: Water Rights Should Belong To All New Zealanders — Not A Select Few

The latest High Court case by the Wai Mana Whenua group is being promoted as a fight for Māori “rights and interests” in freshwater. But beneath the legal language lies a much bigger question — who ultimately controls New Zealand’s water?

The group insists this is “not about ownership,” yet their own court documents ask for decision-making powers and potential charges or rentals for water use. In plain terms, that means creating a parallel system where an unelected tribal authority could decide who gets access to water — and at what cost.