Prime Minister John Key is hopeful that the Government's asset sale plan will proceed as he awaits advice on a Waitangi Tribunal report that said Maori have property rights to water.
Officials and lawyers worked during the weekend and will provide advice to the Government, he says.
"We're now going to spend the better part of this week and next week poring over the report," he told Newstalk ZB.
When the Government received advice it would be in a position to make a full response to the report, he said.
Asked on TVNZ's Breakfast programme if the asset sales would go ahead, Mr Key said "I hope so".
"And the reason for that is that when we release that capital from those assets then we can go on and use that to buy other assets."
Mr Key said his Government had a good relationship with the Maori Party, but its support partner could not expect to win on everything.
"I'm sure we can work our way through this one like we have in the past."
Finance Minister Bill English told the New Zealand Herald that disruption to the timing of the asset sales would push the Government over its self-imposed debt limit of 30 percent of gross domestic product.
Sir Tumu te Heuheu, chairman of the Freshwater Iwi Leaders Group, said at the weekend that his group remained committed to progressing discussions with the Crown.
"Those discussions are focused on the appropriate recognition of iwi rights and interests in the context of the development of a new freshwater management framework in New Zealand."
The group preferred talks to litigation.
"One of the key principles for the Iwi Leaders Group is the health and wellbeing of our waterways. We must, as a nation, find a way forward which protects the sustainability of our water resources into the future," he said.
The Government campaigned on a policy of partial privatisation of state-owned companies and among those tagged for sale are Meridian Energy, Genesis Energy and Mighty River Power, all of which make some use of water.
Waitangi Tribunal decisions are not binding on the Government.
NZN