Settlements – Whakatōhea Settlement Another Step Closer

#Whakatōhea2020 ŌPŌTIKI, 21 October 2020: The Waitangi Tribunal decision to decline an urgent hearing into the Crown’s decision to continue treaty negotiations with the Whakatōhea Pre Settlement Claims Trust is another step forward for the Whakatōhea Settlement.

“We are pleased with the outcome as it should be Whakatōhea, not the Tribunal, that decides the merits of the settlement offer,” says Graeme Riesterer, Chair of Whakatōhea Pre Settlement Claims Trust.

Riesterer says that Whakatōhea had already achieved the win-win situation for the Iwi with the Crown agreeing that the North Eastern Bay of Plenty District Inquiry could continue after the conclusion of the Whakatōhea settlement, a first in the history of Treaty Settlements.  

The Trust continues to invite input from its whānau and looks forward to meeting with them at the next round of hui starting 2nd of November 2020, to share progress made on both the Settlement package and the Post Settlement Governance Entity.  The aim is to initial a Deed of Settlement and run the ratification process early in 2021.