King Tuheitia has launched a claim for Auckland extending north to Mahurangi, down the Firth of Thames and across to the Manukau Harbour and to Piha.

He told more than 500 people gathered at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, including Prime Minister John Key, he was determined to see the claim through.

"It must be done," Tuheitia said on Friday. "I am determined to do it with the start of the Kingitanga claim in Tamaki."

MIKE SCOTT/FAIRFAX NZ Prime Minister John Key visited Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia on Friday where Maori King Tuheitia launched a claim for greater Auckland.

Auckland University of Technology history Professor Paul Moon said the claim "has merit" and if successful, could pave the way for the country's biggest iwi, Ngapuhi, to make a similar claim on the super city.

Due to poor health - diabetes - Tuheitia stayed out of view of the Kingitanga faithful during the week but made his intentions clear during his annual speech.

He said the tribe had moved into a "new era" of rights and claims.

GRAHAM COX/FAIRFAX NZ Maori king Tuheitia has laid claim to Auckland during a speech at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia.

"One that is destined to bring about problems, argument and even disagreement," said Tuheitia. "But I am obliged and responsible to go there."

The 20th anniversary of Waikato-Tainui's 1995 Raupatu settlement claim was celebrated in May. They have grown their assets base to more than $1 billion in that time.

Traditional Tainui waka boundaries extend north to Wellsford, some 70km north of the Auckland CBD and the king's spokesman Tukoroirangi Morgan said there were issues yet to be resolved.

Those issues were raised with Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson and Housing Minister Nick Smith five weeks ago at a meeting about the Crown's May decision to open land in Auckland for development, he said.

"It was there that we placed the issue of the unresolved interests of the tribe into greater Auckland," said Morgan.

The first Maori King Potatau Te Wherowhero signed an agreement with Governor George Grey as the protector of Auckland and Morgan wanted to see the claim settled by the next coronation celebration in August 2016.

"The minister has agreed to hear the unresolved claim. Ceded in the unresolved Waikato-Tainui claims is the Kingitanga interests," Morgan said.

"He [Finlayson] characterised it as, 'let's get it on', so we want to get it on as well."

The Huakina Claim, filed in 1993, would also be heard, he said.

"The minister has agreed that we are now going to terms of negotiation on the claim into greater Auckland."

Conflict with other Auckland tribes was likely but he said their relationship with the likes of Ngati Whatua would stand the test.

"It's always going to cause some challenges for those who claim mana whenua into Auckland. That's a reality we are going to have to deal with."

There were a number of sites in Auckland whereTe Wherowhero had authority including Mt Eden and the Auckland Domain. Morgan said it was their responsibility to progress the claims.

"This is an opportunity for the tribe to go back to talk to the Government in an attempt to try and address the unresolved interests of Waikato-Tainui and the Kingitanga interests into Tamaki," he said.

A decision by the 2008 Helen Clark government halted all historical treaty claims.

Moon said it was unlikely a new claim would be accepted under that decision but the Crown's settlement with the 2012 Ngati Whatua settlement may have opened the door.

"The claimant has to demonstrate that the Crown has breached the treaty. I think this might be the way Kingitanga will get around it," said Moon.

"What they would say is the Crown's settlement with Ngati Whatua would be the breach of the treaty because it breaches mana whenua status."

If it succeeded, Moon said there would be a "great untangling" which meant other tribes could lay claim over Auckland as well.

"It lays the groundwork for Ngapuhi to lay a claim for Auckland on a similar basis," he said.

"It's a much more involved thing than the Crown ever envisaged but I think there are some strong merits in the claim."

The Crown's May announcement by Nick Smith received a joint response from Auckland iwi Ngati Whatua and Waikato-Tainui which claimed a breach of first right of refusal options in treaty legislation.

Moon said it showed iwi were happy to work together and the announcement may not come as a shock to Auckland iwi.

"That was a surprising show of unanimity and surprising not because you expect groups to be fighting each other but because Ngati Whatua could have easily said this is our land exclusively. Everyone, stay out."

Ngati Whatua Orakei Deputy Chair, Ngarimu Blair, said the hapu was not surprised by the king's announcement of a new claim in wider Auckland.

"We've had a long-standing relationship with Tainui and the Kingitanga; in fact we gifted land to them within Tamaki in the 1830s.

"Ngati Whatua Orakei has maintained ahi kaa roa (permanent occupation) and lived in central Auckland for centuries.

"We acknowledge that Tainui and the Kingitanga has interests in parts of wider Auckland. However, we will be watching this claim and others very closely", Blair said.

A spokeswoman for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson said the Crown recognised Waikato-Tainui as "one of several groups" with historical Treaty of Waitangi claims in the Auckland region.

"The Minister would welcome a robust mandate strategy for Waikato-Tainui as a preliminary step towards commencing negotiations of Waikato-Tainui's remaining claims," the spokeswoman said.

"The Crown has not yet recognised any entity as having the mandate to negotiate a settlement of the remaining claims of Waikato-Tainui."