Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Iwi leaders will meet at Waitangi

Updated at 8:33 pm on 3 February 2012

Climate change, education, the constitution and the partial state asset sales are among some of the topics that'll be discussed by iwi leaders at Waitangi.

The Iwi Chairs Forum will hold its first meeting for this year, in the Bay of Islands on Saturday.

The hui will be hosted by Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi forum, which will be led by Te Rarawa.

Te Rarawa Runanga chairperson, Haami Piripi, expects more than 50 iwi representatives from tribes' including, Ngai Tahu, Waikato-Tainui, Taranaki and Ngati Porou will attend.

He says the conference is an opportunity not to make decisions but to share ideas and information about topics, which each iwi are working on and to discuss how tribes are progressing.

Mr Piripi says even though matters such as state asset sales are topical, the constitution and water are among the top priorities up for discussion.

He says partial sales will be raised but he says the forum's agenda won't be driven by what the Government is pressing right now.

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