26 Mar 2018

Supreme Court hearing granted to iwi over Crown land sale

7:36 pm on 26 March 2018

A Supreme Court hearing has been granted over a Court of Appeal decision to reject a case brought forward by a central Auckland iwi.

Supreme Court in Wellington, Coat of Arms

Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Last year, the Court of Appeal rejected the Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei Trust's bid to stop the Crown giving Central Auckland properties it believed were within its tribal boundaries - as part of a treaty settlement for two other Hauraki iwi.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei will now have the chance to prove why its case should be heard in court at a Supreme Court hearing in Wellington.

The iwi opposed properties including Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girl's Grammar being handed to Marutūāhu and Ngāti Pāoa as part of their Treaty settlements.

However, Ngāti Whātua Ōrakei and Ngāti Pāoa have since signed an agreement to stop litigation between themselves after the Court of Appeal decision.

The new hearing is set to be held in early May.

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