R Paterson has nailed it in his letter (The Weekend Sun, January 19). Media seem not to recognise the possibility of tribal control and paying for access to all beaches which New Zealanders now regard as their natural heritage, nor that it is already happening.

Chris Finlayson's gifting of these national treasures of rivers, mountains, national parks and reserves seems not to stir up journalistic outrage. Details of iwi settlements of hundreds of millions of dollars plus lands are reported, whilst also reporting lack of funding for hospitals, roads/rail, education, housing and health. Rarely has there been any journalistic investigation into this disparity, nor of why a country should apologise for its history.

Not an eyebrow has been raised by any of our parliamentary representatives regarding Maori claims of access to every inch of NZ coast, nor that iwi receive taxpayer assistance of $400,000 to prepare claims while those wanting to defend public ownership of our beaches must pay $110 plus expenses for each claim.

The cost to fishing, recreation and outdoor groups trying to defend the rights of the NZ public is prohibitive. If the new government does not intervene, the heritage of all New Zealanders in all its natural facets may be controlled and charged for by a selfish minority.

R Stephens, Mount Maunganui (Abridged).