The Whanganui River Maori Trust is being told by one of its iwi not to proceed with initialling a Treaty of Waitangi deed of settlement with the government because it fears its needs are not being fairly represented.
Ngati Uenuku chair Aiden Gilbert said it wanted to delay progress because there had been a lack of consultation by the trust, it had no tribal delegate on the mandated body and it had not seen the deed.
Mr Gilbert said he was planning to go to Parliament ahead of the initialling ceremony - on Wednesday afternoon - to question the trust about the document.
The iwi, which comprised 26 hapu, wanted to make sure the deed was transparent and that its needs were represented, he said.
The Whanganui River Maori Trust said details of the deed were still being drafted, and a three-week consultation period would be organised before any formal ratification of the deed.
