Source: New Zealand Government
After 15 years of negotiations three Hauraki iwi Claims Settlement Bills – Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei have passed final reading in Parliament today, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
“All three Hauraki iwi entered formal negotiations with the Crown in 2011 and have worked persistently and in good faith over many years to reach this point.
“The passage of this settlement legislation reflects the commitment, resilience, and determination of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei, and I acknowledge the significant efforts of their negotiating teams over more than a decade.
“I also want to acknowledge the people of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Hei, and others from the wider Pare Hauraki Collective who travelled to Parliament today to witness this auspicious occasion, and those who watched the passing of these Bills online from Hauraki. Their presence underscores the deep intergenerational significance of this moment.
“Through these settlements, the Crown has formally acknowledged the cumulative impacts of its historical breaches of te Tiriti o Waitangi / the Treaty of Waitangi. These breaches contributed to loss of whenua, environmental harm and constrained the ability of these iwi to provide for their present and future generations.
“While no settlement can fully compensate for the Crown’s injustices towards Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui and Ngāti Hei, I sincerely hope this redress will support these Hauraki iwi to strengthen their economic, cultural and environmental aspirations, and provides a platform for enduring relationships between the Crown and iwi for generations to come.”
The settlements provide a foundation for renewed relationships, and include agreed historical accounts, Crown acknowledgements of its historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and a formal Crown apology to each iwi.
Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu will receive total financial and commercial redress of $5.5 million; the right to purchase two commercial redress properties; and the vesting of 17 individual and two joint cultural redress properties.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui will receive total financial and commercial redress of $6 million; the right to purchase for two years after the settlement date, the Paeroa College school site (land only) subject to its lease-back to the Crown; and the vesting of seven individual and two joint cultural redress properties.
Ngāti Hei will receive total financial and commercial redress of $8.5 million; the ability to purchase three commercial properties; and the vesting of 15 individual and two joint cultural redress properties.
All three iwi have protocols with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the Ministry for Primary Industries as well as a relationship agreement with the Department of Conservation.
Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu is located around Te Aroha and their area of interest includes Te Aroha, the Kaimai range to Katikati and Te Puna, the Hauraki Plains, and Coromandel Peninsula.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui is located around Paeroa in the Hauraki region.
Ngāti Hei is located on the eastern seaboard of the Coromandel Peninsula from Onemana to Whangapoua. Their area of interest is centred around Tairua and Ahuahu and includes offshore islands extending north to Cuvier Island.
The Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Deed of Settlement is available at: Te Tari Whakatau – Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu. Its Claims Settlement Bill is at Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill | New Zealand Legislation.
The Ngāti Tara Tokanui Deed of Settlement is available at: Te Tari Whakatau – Ngāti Tara Tokanui. Its Claims Settlement Bill is at Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill | New Zealand Legislation.
The Ngāti Hei Deed of Settlement is available at: Te Tari Whakatau – Ngāti Hei. Its Claims Settlement Bill is at Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill | New Zealand Legislation.