A government-appointed review panel last week released its report on the Foreshore and Seabed Act, recommending its repeal and saying interim legislation should be put in place until the politicians work out a way to recognise Maori rights to coastal areas.
One of the options is for national and/or regional settlements with compensation as a possibility.
Mr Key said the preliminary reaction from most parties was that compensation was not an issue.
"I don't want to prejudice the process today, but I think you could characterise it by saying that there seems to be a strong consensus that compensation is not likely to be part of the process in settling the foreshore and seabed," Mr Key said
No one seemed to be seeking freehold titles, but it still had to be worked out what a customary right meant and what if any property rights went with them.
Mr Key said much of the issue was "restoration of mana" as the law had taken away the right for Maori to go to court.
"It's not about, I don't believe, compensation. It's not about freehold title, but is about their mana being restored."
Mr Key acknowledged that the 2003 Court of Appeal decision had raised the possibility of small areas being subjected to customary titles and this had grown into calls for a national settlement.
The issue was complex and the Government had to decide whether to take a broad brush approach to settling the grievance or allow individual cases to be considered or go through the courts, he said.
The Government would deliberately take time to work and see if a consensus could be formed.
There had been a "snap reaction" from the previous government to the Court of Appeal decision and this may have not led to the best result.
The foreshore and seabed issue had become a "weeping sore" that needed to be healed without taking away anyone's access to beaches.
