Waitangi Marae wants media to pay $10,000 to film there

Newshub reports:

Waitangi’s lower Te Tii Marae is seeking to charge media outlets up to $10,000 to film dignitaries and politicians arriving on Saturday and Sunday. 

The marae’s communications liaison, known simply as ‘Tana’, says the tradition of media companies gifting a koha to the Marae has been scrapped, and replaced with a ‘coverage fee’. 

The cheapest ‘coverage fee’ is $1200, which gives entry to journalists, photographers, and camera operators – but restricts them to two areas of the marae grounds. 

The only other option is an ‘exclusive package’ costing $10,000 which gives access to all parts of the marae, including inside during speeches. 

And people wonder why the PM is not attending. I suspect at the other marae around NZ, there will be no such charges.