The Water Users’ Group taking action against claims made by the Minister of Local Government to justify giving some Māori the effective control of more than a hundred billion dollars of ratepayer funded three waters assets.

A copy of the Statement of Claim can be accessed here.

The Water Users’ Group is asking the Court for –

A declaration that iwi/Māori do not have rights and interests in the three waters,

Further or alternatively, a declaration that the Minister has not identified and demonstrated the existence of any iwi/Māori rights and interests in the three waters,

A declaration that the Minister was wrong in law to assert that a Crown duty to act in accordance with the principles of the Treaty required the Cabinet to adopt her recommendations to put in place structures and mechanisms to confer special interests in the three waters on iwi/Māori,

A declaration that Cabinet’s agreement to adopt the Minister’s recommendations to put in place structures and other mechanisms to confer special interests in the three waters on iwi/Māori was based on errors of law,

A declaration that Cabinet’s adoption of the Minister’s recommendations is a breach of the Crown’s obligations to act with reasonableness, fairness and justice to all New Zealanders,

That the Court give such directions as the Court thinks just to aid Cabinet in its reconsideration of the issues, and Costs.