The crown made an important acknowledgement today, confirming the Astrolabe Reef's status as a ‘taonga'.

Crown counsel Karen Clark QC confirmed the reef's status in submissions to the Waitangi Tribunal meeting on the Rena wreck in Tauranga.

Motiti Rohe Moana Trust spokesman Hugh Sayers outside the tribunal hearings in Tauranga.

Karen Clark's admission the reef is a taonga also bolster's the Motiti Island's hapu claims for a marine reserve status to be applied to the reef in future, says Counsel for Motiti Rohe Moana Trust, Hugh Sayers.

The hapu has been pursuing the reserve claims since before the Rena grounded on the reef on October 5, 2011, says Hugh.

The reserve claims were stalled and the hapu ignored, similarly to what took place during the emergency response and signing of the $27.6million deed of settlement negotiations between the government and Rena owners and insurers in 2012, says Hugh.

A further $10.4million would be paid if the owners and insurers succeeded in obtaining resource consent to leave the wreck in place, as a reflection of further salvage costs.

After denying the Government breached the Treaty of Waitangi in what Hugh says was ongoing refusal to consult Motiti Islanders over the settlement deed and that the government had acted in good faith, Karen was asked by a member of the panel, what will happen to the $10.4 million payment the government will get should the wreck be permitted to remain on the reef.

She was requested to obtain an answer for her final submissions.

Hugh earlier presented a picture of Motiti Islanders living without infrastructure, with no plan for the development of any infrastructure and inconclusive discussions about the Rena owners and insurers.

The tribunal was told hapu wishes will cost more than the owners and insurers are prepared to pay.

He had earlier alleged collusion between the regional council, Rena owners and insurers and local consultants Beca as one of the reasons the reef's treasured status was endangered.

The containership's owners and insurers - Daina Shipping and The Swedish Club - required the reef's status to be lowered to make it easier to make an application to leave the wreck on the reef.

An application for resource consent to the leave the remains of ship on Astrolabe Reef, about 25km off the coast of Tauranga has been made with BOPRC.

The islanders were barred from the settlement negotiations between the Crown and the Rena owners and insurers and denied access to copies afterwards, says Hugh.

The only time they met with the Crown side of the case was just recently, and they were told afterwards it was so the Crown Law Office could inform their minister that all parties had been met with.

'Where is the good will, the good faith.” says Hugh.

'We've been put through the mill by the Rena owners and the regional council and the Crown.”

During the disaster response phase the islanders were again ignored by all the government departments involved, and told they had to deal through the ministry appointed iwi representatives, or the government created iwi leaders group, says Hugh.

It was not as if the government doesn't know who the Motiti islanders are, says Hugh.

Before the Rena hit the reef the islanders' application for a customary marine area encompassing Motiti and the Astrolabe was stalled in process. It remains stalled.