Hui to discuss forest management

A decade-long Government attempt to prevent unsustainable logging of Maori-owned native forests enters a new consultation phase next week.

A series of hui are being held from Wellington to Invercargill about management of forest land given to Maori more than 100 years ago as part of the South Island Landless Natives Act (Silna).

About 57,000 hectares of South Island land was allocated to more than 4000 Maori in 1906 as a means of support, but the land was in such remote locations it did not realise any economic benefit. About 17,000 hectares of the land is now forested, with 5000 hectares of pristine virgin forest with a high conservation value that is exempt from laws requiring sustainable management.

In 2002, the Government set a $20 million limit to settle with Maori landowners and prevent unsustainable logging of Silna forest. However, only about 3000 hectares has been agreed on and the Government wants a long-term solution.

Steve Harteveld, chairman of the Rakiura Maori Land Trust, which looks after Silna land on Stewart Island, said the Government was being hypocritical after giving the land as an economic opportunity then, once it became valuable, wanting to take that away.

"Maori have the right to say: `You should have thought about that when you pushed us to the backblocks of the South Island because you never thought the land would be of any value. All of a sudden the land has become very valuable and now you wish to ensure everybody can enjoy it'."

The Government wanted Maori trusts to maintain and manage the forests, which would be costly and should be reflected in any compensation package, he said.

Maori probably did not want to mill native forest, but in some cases it was the only way to benefit from the land.

"I would hope people don't decide to exercise their right to cut the trees down. That would be a shame," Harteveld said.

MAF senior policy analyst Avinash Shrivastava said the problem was complex as there were so many landowners up to 40,000 with different decision-making processes.

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