A leader of New Zealand's largest iwi has condemned a decision by Waitangi lower marae officials to charge a $1000 entry fee to non-Maori media organisations on Waitangi Day.



Ngapuhi leader David Rankin today said the decision by "the village idiot and his uneducated disciples" was racist and shameful.



"These self-appointed bullies are doing great harm to our people," he said.



"Many of our people outside of Northland will be depending on the nightly news for information about Waitangi Day, and this small, unelected group are threatening to ban media coverage for the sake of their own personal greed."



Last year, several media groups were charged $500 to enter and report on the day's festivities at Te Tii Marae, which is across the river from the main Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Some rejected the fee demand and negotiated entry by paying a koha of up to $40.



Mr Rankin said there was no record of where the money went.



"This is not a koha, it is deemed as income because it is demanded from people. It goes completely against our culture of hospitality to visitors, regardless of where they are from."



He said the fee amounted to "cultural apartheid" and he would be advising all media that the marae was open and free of charge this Waitangi Day.



Te Tii Marae committee chairman Hama Apiata said if media refused to pay they would not be allowed onto the marae.



Only one organisation - the local Maori radio station - would be exempt from the fee, he said.



Mr Apiata said that because things "got messy" in the past, it had been tidied up, Newstalk ZB reported.



Everyone paid equally, he said.



Television stations had already paid the fee so it was likely other media would follow, the station reported.



Media Freedom Committee secretary and NZPA chief executive Tim Pankhurst said it was disappointing the issue had risen again and it threatened to take the spotlight away from what actually happened on the lower marae.



"It's extortion. It's not koha, media have a right to report fairly on matters of national importance and surely, the commemoration of our national day."



He urged media to resist paying the fee and reporters should instead go onto the marae with the official party.



"It's not going to look great if they are walking on with the prime minister and they are barred from entry. In that case I would think he should have something to say."