Karl du Fresne: An assumed right of veto?

The protest occupation at the site of a proposed Erebus memorial at Sir Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Parnell is the latest evidence of what seems to be an assumed Maori right of veto.

Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish is leading the protest, claiming it’s a culturally significant site (isn’t it always?) and that there was inadequate consultation with Maori. Yet her own iwi, Ngati Whatua, gave the project its blessing after a consultation process going back to October 2018. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ngati Whatua Orakei – the hapu with mana whenua (territorial authority) over the site – detailed its involvement in the approval process and reaffirmed its support.

There’s a pattern emerging here. As at Ihumatao and Wellington’s Shelly Bay, protesters are asserting a right to block projects that had been given the green light - in the case of Shelly Bay, after years of squabbling.

NZCPR Weekly: Private Property Rights Under Threat

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week we examine the land rights protest in Auckland and the dangerous implications for New Zealand, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Dr Bryce Edwards provides an analysis of media reporting about the conflict, and our poll asks whether you believe the Government should allow the use of private land to settle Treaty grievances.

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