In a bombshell ruling, the High Court has granted 13 iwi claimants customary marine title and rights to several marine areas in the Bay of Plenty, a move which could set a precedent for the 580+ other claims that cover the entire coastline of New Zealand. This ruling grants the claimants a new form of property right, known as customary marine title, over areas of foreshore and seabed between Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki - from the high water mark on the land side, out 12 nautical miles to sea, including the airspace above. 

A group of concerned citizens have launched a petition to return New Zealand to a true democracy. The petition, to be presented to parliament, states that ‘We Demand Our Democratic Rights & Democracy Back'