The Crown has breached its Treaty obligations by failing to ensure Maori can fully pursue claims

That's according to a damning Waitangi Tribunal report - which found a lack of funding leaves claimants frozen out of the process.

The report takes a swipe at officials and ministers - saying the purpose of the tribunal is seriously undermined when the Crown doesn't adequately resource Maori to take part in inquiries.

It says both parties must sit down urgently to thrash out proper funding arrangements - as it's unacceptable for the Crown to create this type of policy, and only consult Maori at the end.

The Crown argued while there are problems with funding, they're good enough in Treaty terms - something the Waitangi Tribunal disputed.