Courts should decide beachfront land row - judge

The dispute over a survey of disputed land at Matapouri is of "significant public interest" that should be heard by the courts, an Associate High Court judge says.

Friends of Matapouri and Te Whanau o Rangiwhakaahu Hapu Charitable Trust have lodged High Court action against the Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand and the Attorney-General, as well as the land's title-holders.

The dispute centres on 1.1ha of privately owned beachfront land at Matapouri which the groups want returned to Crown ownership. They say the property is worth about $10 million.

The groups said the land and its wahi tapu sites originally formed part of the O Tito Reserve but was wrongly converted to private ownership through a surveying error in 1999.

The land is owned by members of the Ringer family, who say the property was bought legally by their grandfather Jock Morrison in 1912.

To read the full NZ Herald article click here

Posted: 20 Jan 2009

News articles