ACAT opposes the Treaty Principles Bill
ACAT firmly opposes the Treaty Principles Bill and will be making a submission against it. The Bill fundamentally contradicts the principles and spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which we honour as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand.
ACAT firmly opposes the Treaty Principles Bill and will be making a submission against it. The Bill fundamentally contradicts the principles and spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which we honour as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand.
As an organisation dedicated to preserving and regaining climbing access throughout Aotearoa, we recognise that this Bill has significant implications for the management of public lands that climbers seek to access, and it threatens to undermine the collaborative relationships we are seeking to build with iwi and hapū.
Climber at Whekenui wall, Whanganui Bay. Photo: John Palmer.
ACAT opposes the Treaty Principles Bill for two key reasons
1 - Prejudicial to Māori Rights and Treaty Relationship
The Bill undermines decades of Treaty jurisprudence and threatens to erase the recognition of tino rangatiratanga (Māori self-determination). The Waitangi Tribunal has found the Bill to be "unfair, discriminatory, and inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty".
The Bill's development process excluded consultation with Māori, breaching the principles of partnership and good faith that are cornerstones of the Treaty relationship. This unilateral redefinition of Treaty principles goes against the spirit of collaboration and mutual respect that Te Tiriti embodies.
2 – Impact on Climbing Access
Many crags sit on Māori Land or on public land to which mana whenua have ancestral rights, and climbers need to build positive relationships with iwi and hapū throughout Aotearoa to enable sustainable climbing access. The Treaty Principles Bill has created unnecessary division and conflict that threatens the collaborative approach which is essential for these relationships.
Whanganui Bay is a great example of a mutually beneficial relationship achieved through open dialogue and working together.
Submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill
ACAT will be making a submission opposing the Treaty Principles Bill. You can also make your own submission before 7 January 2025, sharing your personal perspective as a climber or outdoor enthusiast.
By engaging in this process, we can all contribute to an alternative narrative - one of true consultation, relationship-building, and more just, inclusive outcomes.
Toitū Te Tiriti!