Forestry treaty claims in Aotearoa-New Zealand: bicultural significance and socio-economic impact

The economic importance of forestry as a significant industry in Aotearoa is easily established; but to Māori it is demonstrably even more fundamental whereby a broader set of principles other than those based on individual property rights and economic values are solidly embraced. Manifestation of such importance is also revealed in forestry claims made under Treaty of Waitangi and related legislated processes facilitating recompensing actions and omissions by the Crown since 1840. However, the redress amount provided under any Treaty Deed of Settlement tells only part of the story in terms of property settlement and compensation. The more complete picture is that land gifting including sites of cultural and spiritual significance, and recovery of accumulated rentals for Crown Licensed Forests may also included as part of the final redress – distorting the apparent compensation amount paid. Notwithstanding, total compensation packages typically represent only a fraction of the current market value of dispossessed land. This is an observational paper establishing a conceptual framework, examining the proposition that contemporary Māori are likely to balance economic objectives with social, cultural and spiritual values – even though the embedding of these principles (especially those relating to environmental protection) are still held to strongly.