For several weeks, 1Law4All has been communicating the consequences of Auckland Council transferring unfettered power to part-Maori tribal (iwi) authorities in the Auckland region.

Many Aucklanders have to apply to iwi for approval to put up a garden shed or cut down a tree and negotiate with up to 19 self-appointed iwi authorities and pay whatever they ask - thousands of dollars in some cases - with no limits.

And no substantiation or reason needs to be given.

So 1Law4All members rallied and, with limited resources, did what they could to:

• Organise meetings

• Inform landowners

• Engage the media

• Write to councillors (some were completely in the dark until we informed them)

• Contact MPs

• Raise awareness on social media sites

As a result, the media have picked up the issue, some other political parties have finally come out of the woodwork to join in condemning the undemocratic and corruptible process, and significantly more submissions were made by the closing date.

T Fellingham, Tauranga South.