FRESHWATER, AIR, UNOCCUPIED LAND, FORESHORE & SEABED ETC

Under English Common Law ‘these things’ are managed/regulated by the Crown or democratically elected officers.

In 1840 the wise chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi to cede sovereignty to the Queen of England and, in return, becoming British subjects in accordance with the law of the time, including common law. Therefore it follows that freshwater, air and the F&S were vested in the Crown, yes, THE CHIEFS THEMSELVES VESTED 'THESE THINGS' IN THE CROWN BY SIGNING THE TREATY.

Further evidenced in Rev John Warren’s (who was there on the day of signing) quote “There was a great deal of talk by the natives, principally of securing their proprietary right in the land and their personal liberty. EVERYTHING ELSE THEY WERE ONLY TO HAPPY TO YIELD TO THE QUEEN, AS THEY SAID REPEATEDLY, because they knew they could only be saved from the rule of other nations (mainly the French) by sitting under the shadow of the Queen of England....”

What Article 2 in the maori language Treaty says, is that ALL the people of New Zealand (not just maoris, but maoris included) are guaranteed legal ownership of their land (occupied or in usage at the time), houses and ordinary property (taonga). As a consequence, any CUSTOMARY RIGHTS to ‘other’ resources were EXTINGUISHED by the treaty.