Coastal Coalition’s Citizen’s Initiated Referendum

[PeterVahry]

At the heart of this issue is whether the New Zealand’s foreshore and seabed should belong to all citizens equally - as it has since 1840 as our birthright and common heritage - or whether it should be privatised to the Maori tribal elite.

Essentially the Coastal Coalition believes that the National Party had no mandate from New Zealanders for this extreme law change that will, over time, not only see the entire coast and Territorial Sea controlled by tribal interests, but will also create a brand new grievance industry. That’s why we would like to give voters the chance to have their say through a national referendum over whether our coast should be returned to Crown ownership or whether they are happy for it to be privatised along racial lines.

Please help us succeed in forcing a referendum by collecting as many signatures as you can.

Below is a link that will enable you to download and print the referendum petition form (you will need to use ‘landscape’ orientation if your printer does not adjust automatically). And please make sure you have read the instructions so that every signature counts, by ensuring supporters are on the electoral roll, haven’t already signed the petition, and that they write legibly. All of this information can be found on the Coastal Coalition website at www.CoastalCoalition.co.nz.

•To download the CIR referendum form, please click http://www.nzcpr.com/CoastalCoalitionCIR.pdf

•To download the instructions, please click http://www.nzcpr.com/InstructionsCIR.pdf

The key to success will depend on how well we can tap into networks to gather signatures and persuade others to support our cause by collecting signatures themselves.

[Jerry]

Only three parties have said they will restore public ownership of the foreshore and seabed.Party positions on restoring Crown ownership of the foreshore & seabed

ACT Party
Message from Parliamentary Leader John Boscawen:
“ACT strongly opposed the Marine and Coastal Area Bill and supports restoration of Crown ownership, but with the right of tribal groups to go to the High Court. We believe it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to prove continuous and exclusive access to any area of the seabed out to the old territorial limit of 3 nautical miles, let alone 12 nautical miles. The whole issue of ownership of the foreshore and
seabed arose because of the surprising 2003 Ngati Apa decision by the Court of Appeal that wet sea was dry land. ACT proposes that the Government appeal this decision.”

Conservative Party
Message from Leader Colin Craig:
“Ownership of the foreshore and seabed should be vested in the Crown on behalf of all New Zealanders. In respect of Māori claims, generally where Māori (or anyone else’s) rights have been infringed they should always have the right to take the matter to court. The possibility to now ‘negotiate’ with Parliament directly is a disturbing departure from the principle that courts are the proper place to have matters of justice
heard and decided.”

New Zealand First
Message from Leader Winston Peters:
“The 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act was, and is, NZ First’s policy solution negotiated with the agreement of coastal iwi. The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 arose from an unannounced deal between National and the Māori Party soon after the 2008 election. It is a political and legal mess with the result that no entity now owns the foreshore and seabed. That is an unprecedented vacuum historically and
internationally. It is now an invitation for mischief and future dispute between Māori and Māori and Māori and the rest of the population of NZ. The 2011 Act should be repealed and the 2004 Act restored thereby ensuring ownership of the foreshore and
seabed for all New Zealanders.”

Source
COASTALCOALITION NEW ZEALAND CENTRE
FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH

[Jerry]

The collection for signatures is closing soon, think this issue won't affect you???, How soon before more of our favorite 4wd tracks are claimed

If you want to sign let me know and I'll get the form to you...


*NEW BEACH CLAIMS
A new foreshore and seabed claim has been lodged for Matauri Bay in the Far North and the Cavelli Islands. Even before the claim has been heard, the local iwi has been clamping the wheels of cars parked at the beach - then confronting owners with a portable eftpos machine demanding $200 to unclamp the wheels. The matter has been referred to the Police. If this is occurring before they even "own" the beach what hope is there that they will take any notice of the government's "free" beach guarantee afterwards?

Iwi in stoush over national park race
MICHELLE COOKE
Last updated 13:25 28/03/2012
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A car race that winds through the country's oldest national park has been cancelled after the local iwi called for people to sit on the road in protest of the event.

Ngati Rangi Trust executive manager Che Wilson said a car race was not the sort of event that the iwi wanted at Tongariro National Park, the world's second-oldest national park and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Max Hodder, one of the organisers of this weekend's Ohakune Giant 1000 race said the race was cancelled yesterday because the risk to the public's safety was now too great for it to go ahead.

He was bitterly disappointed that his "dream race" had been called off and said the organisers had lost thousands of dollars, and the cancellation would be a "huge loss for the town".

"We've got some very angry competitors out there. It's very costly for us, we've had to give everybody money back."

Hodder called off the race after Ngati Rangi put out a call in the local paper for people to protest against the event by sitting on the road and having a picnic.

"The police are concerned that if they get there and sit down on the road then they don't have the resources to remove them."

Thirty competitors from all over the country planned to travel to Ohakune for the race, which ran last year for the first time.

The race was to start at the Ohakune township before ascending the Turoa Ski Area access road. It incorporated 113 corners and cars would climb 1000 metres in 17 kilometres.

"It's the challenge of that particular road - there aren't many places in the country where you can do that."

Wilson said the iwi had suggested two alternative routes but the organisers "weren't interested in looking at anything else".

"For some reason we were willing to compromise but there was no compromise from the committee," he said.

"People just wanted to take their gas-guzzling machines onto the mountain. It's just boys and their toys."

Wilson said the iwi opposed the race last year and also took issue with it this year, on several grounds.

There was a risk of accidents, which could lead to fires and destroy the 1000-year-old forest, and it meant no-one else had access to the road for several hours.

Ruapehu District Council approved the road closure on Saturday, from 8am to 5pm.

Hodder said he couldn't understand why it was an issue for 30 cars to do two trips up the mountain when some days during the peak ski season up to 5000 vehicles used the road.

"It just doesn't add up," Hodder said.

But Wilson said that because it was a rally race it added to the risk.

"Also, a rally on a mountain road will encourage people to hoon up the mountain and that's the last thing we want.

"This is our national park and an international icon."

He said the picnic would still go ahead on Saturday "not to oppose the rally but to celebrate the mountain and the park."

Ruapehu mayor Sue Morris said she had been "quite nervous" about the event because the organisers hadn't planned it well and had only approached the council a month ago.

However, the council did approve the road closure and agreed yesterday that the event could go ahead, but would have to find a different route next year.