Abstract:
As the impacts of climate change, pollution and over-usage of freshwater resources become ever more evident, Indigenous peoples are looking to turn the tide by asserting that they have legal rights over these resources that need to be recognised. In New Zealand this has been the most fiercely contested and controversial issue between Ma-ori and the Crown for the last decade. In August this year the Waitangi Tribunal released a damning report that found that the Crown’s laws and policies for freshwater were fundamentally in breach of the Treaty of Waitangi, as the Crown had failed to protect freshwater resources or recognise Ma-ori proprietary rights in them. How the government will respond to this report and whether a lasting resolution with Ma-ori can be reached remains to be seen.
Details / PDF:
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