Fresh water rights discussed as govt meets iwi leaders

The government and Maori will sit down today to discuss the sensitive issue of control over fresh water. A number of Cabinet ministers are headed north to Ngaruawahia to meet with the Iwi Chairs Forum, where water is set to be a hot topic. RNZ understands that Cabinet has ruled out ownership rights for Maori, and instead the government will provide capital - most likely through the provincial growth fund - for Maori to develop water storage to make better use of under-developed land. But a Ngapuhi negotiator, Rudy Taylor, told political reporter, Jo Moir, that iwi will sink that idea, and they'll resort to legal action if they feel like their rights are being ignored.