Housing Minister Nick Smith has gone to ground after a tense meeting with two iwi.

Smith met with Ngati Whatua and Tainui yesterday, to try dissuade them from taking High Court action over the release of Crown land in Auckland for housing.

The meeting went until late in the evening, but the Minister is refusing to talk to media about how the negotiations went.

A spokesperson says Smith will only comment on the issue when he feels it is appropriate to do so.