A spokesman for the Minister for the Environment says the Government is working with Maori on their concerns about fresh water.
The New Zealand Maori Council is drafting a Waitangi Tribunal claim for more than 30 hapu throughout New Zealand who say they own the fresh water in their communities.
A spokesperson for Environment Minister Nick Smith says the view of the Crown is that no one owns water, in the same way that no one owns air.
The Maori Council has said that stance is a figment of the Crown's imagination and needs to be tested in court.
It wants to meet with the Government, but Dr Smith's spokesperson says the minister is already working with the Iwi Leaders' Group and has asked the Land and Water Forum to address fresh water issues important to Maori.
