18 Sep 2012

Maori Council say no Tainui tribes going to hui

7:23 am on 18 September 2012

Maori Council executives have told Radio New Zealand that no tribes from the Tainui region are going to the Government's consultation hui on water rights.

The first of six hui with tangata whenua is being held in Hamilton on Tuesday, but Maori Council co-chair Maanu Paul says has heard that no iwi are going.

Finance Minister Bill English was expected to be meeting with tribes, including Waikato-Tainui, Hauraki, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Raukawa and Ngati Koroki Kahukura.

The hui is due to talk about the Government's plan to sell shares in some state-owned power companies, including Mighty River Power, which has hydro-dams along the Waikato River.

Waikato-Tainui and Ngati Koroki Kahukura say they are not going to the meeting.

Waikato-Tainui says it won't attend because it wants to have clarity about what other iwi and hapu are doing before it enters talks.

Ngati Koroki Kahukura says it has told the Government what it wants.

Meanwhile, Ngati Maniapoto and Ngati Raukawa couldn't be reached on Monday night.

A Hauraki representative said he planned to go to the first hui.