Contrary to assurances given by the government of the day, the avalanche of claims made under the Marine and Coastal Area Act include not only remote areas of the coast, but every inch of the marine and coastal area of New Zealand. More than 580 claims have been registered for recognition of Customary Rights and for Customary Marine Title over 10 million hectares of foreshore and seabed out to 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres), all harbours and estuaries, the airspace above and many of the minerals below.

Under Crown engagement, the general public will be able to object to or support any application as part of a public enquiry process seeking submissions. This process has not yet begun. The sequence and timing for determination of Crown engagement applications are being developed and information about this will be published on the Justice Department website in due course.

Please note, the deadline to oppose a claim has passed. There will be an opportunity at a later date to submit on the applications received by the crown.

To oppose or support a claim, any interested party may appear and be heard on an application for a recognition order if that person has, by the due date, filed a ‘Notice of Appearance’. In due course the interested party will be called on to give evidence. (You can simply state what time periods you have had unrestricted use of that area, and for what purpose).

We posed a few questions to Andrew Little and here are his responses.

Claims under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011

Will the new government fix the problems - or make them worse?

When Labour and New Zealand First were last in office, Helen Clark and Winston Peters acted to ensure the foreshore and seabed remained in public hands. Labour's Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 vested ownership of the public foreshore and seabed in the Crown.