Top Gear's high-speed Treaty clash
"Once again iwi is against progress. Unless they can clip the ticket without having to do anything."
Featured commentJeremy Clarkson and his Top Gear team have ruffled feathers over the years with their outrageous stunts but now they've managed to take the Treaty of Waitangi "back into the dark ages".
Not that it's really their fault.
The real villains of the piece are the Far North District Council, which is closing a section of Ninety Mile Beach next week to allow the Top Gear larrikins to do their stuff.
With a car set to blast its way down the beach at 150km/h the council has very wisely decided to shut off all access points to the beach for the duration of filming.
But not everybody is happy.
Northland tribal leader Haami Piripi is disappointed the council gave the go ahead to close a stretch of the beach for filming.
He is reported as saying the council failed to contact most of the Northland iwi that signed a Deed of Settlement over management of the beach.
Mr Piripi says the matter has cast the relationship between Maori and local government back into the dark ages because the council is ignoring some iwi.
Whether Mr Clarkson and his crew know or care about this is not known, but perhaps they could take him for a high speed spin down the beach and back into the future.
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Comments and questions16
All "iwi co-management" is a Maori right to veto (i.e. tax). It is undemocratic and usually a rort. Good on the Far North District Council for not giving Mr Piripi a chance...
Its about property rights. The Iwi have shared management. They should have been asked. Simple. If it was your property and your management wasn't asked you red necks would be up in arms about it for sure. Just cause its us Maoris aye.
Some people need to just get a grip. Top Gear will bring people and money to a region desperately short of both. Dont be so touchy!!
Just get Top Gear to call up Haami and get him down the beach and in the film. Eh Bro, all forgiven then A Maybe give him a T/shirt too A
When will this BS stop, showing off 90 mile beach in any way will be excellent for tourism in the far north. More dollars more job and less on the dole surely this is more important than a few ruffled feathers.
Once again iwi is against progress. Unless they can clip the ticket without having to do anything.
Maybe Maori\iwi should get real jobs instead of trying to cash in on anything and everything they can using the Treaty as an excuse.
Couldn't have hurt just to ask. I think that is all they wanted.
And then what, pay an undisclosed bribe - I mean koha - like the organisers of the NZ Ironman paid to Tuwharetoa?
You call paying rent a bribe? Tuwharetoa own that lake.
Top Gear is one of , if not the most popular programs on the planet. Your talking literally hundreds of millions of viewers plus it it is probably one of the most re run show there is. Tourism to NZ and to the area has to be a plus. Maybe the taniwha hasn't had it's cut.
Yeah its unfair. The Council should share its cut.
Its a bloody insult, The beach is a place to gather kai and is very sprirtual.
If they want to set land speed records then go to the right place.Bonneville Salt Flats USA!!
I hope Doc will be watching for any harmed penguin ,seals and birds.
Me,I will be in there faces holding my fishing rod!
I guess you don't give a damn about our tourism industry. DOC won't find any harmed penguins, seals or birds! God, how idiotic to assume they are just coming to run over wildlife with flash cars! And if you show up with a fishing rod in their face expect to be the punch line in all Jeremy's jokes. Once the tide comes in the beach will be exactly like it was for the last 1000 years.
Absolutely - imagine what Clarkson would say about the progressive outlook and warm welcome he received from Maori if he heard about all this. He'd have plenty of material for some withering put downs to be added in the studio back in England.
IWI, I Want It... Nothing's changed.
If the agreement was to consult, then they should consult.