Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill passes Third Reading - Kua pahure te Pire Whakataunga Kerēme a Ngāti Rangitihi i te pānuitanga tuatoru

Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Kua pahure te Pire Whakataunga Kerēme a Ngāti Rangitihi i tōna pānuitanga tuatoru i te Pāremata, koinei te pae whakamutunga o tā rātou hātepe whakataunga kerēme hītori Tiriti o Waitangi.

“E mihi ana ahau ki ngā uri o Ngāti Rangitihi, ki te rōpū whiriwhiri a te Karauna hoki mō rātou i whakapau kaha i te roanga o te hātepe whiriwhiri kōrero, ā whakamanatia noatia te whakaturetanga nei,” hei tā Andrew Little.

“He kokenga whakahirahira tēnei, he tīmatanga hoki o tētahi whakahoanga hou i waenga i a Ngāti Rangitihi me te Karauna – e takea mai ana i te mahi tahi, te whakapono a tētahi ki tētahi, me te whakautetanga.”

Mā roto i te whakataunga nei, ka arongia e te Karauna te hē o āna mahi o mua, me ngā aweretanga hoki i wāwāhi ai i Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ko ētahi ko te korenga o te Karauna i whakaū he rawaka te whenua o Ngāti Rangitihi, te tautokona ōna hoki, i muri mai i te hū o Tarawera; ko te korenga o te Karauna i kawe i āna mahi i runga i te tika me te pono i te rīhitanga, i te hokonga hoki o ngā wāhi whenua o Ngāti Rangitihi; me te kaha rawa o te tangohanga whenua i Te Ariki mō ngā Mahinga Tūmatanui.

E arongia ai te korenga o te Karauna i tiaki i te awa o Tarawera i te parahanga e ahu mai ana i te mira o Tasman Pulp and Paper, ka whakatūria ki te whakataunga nei te Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group. He māngai o ngā iwi me te kāwanatanga ngā mema o te rōpū nei, ā, ko tāna mahi he tautoko, he ruruku, he whakatairanga hoki i te whakahokinga tahitanga o te mauri o ngā awaawa e rere nei ki te awa o Tarawera.

He mea tuku ki a Ngāti Rangitihi, nā te kete whakataunga nei, he $4 miriona hei puretumu ā-pūtea i tua atu o te puretumu ā-tauhoko e noho ana ki te pūkete, i whiwhi ai i roto i te Whakataunga Ngahere a ngā Iwi o te Puku o te Ika i te tau 2008, ā, e $7 miriona te nui. Kei roto ko te tukunga o ētahi wāhi 19, tae atu ki te Whārua Puia o Waimangu, hei puretumu ā-ahurea.

“Kua roa a Ngāti Rangitihi e tatari ana ki te rangi nei, ā, ahakoa e kore e murua tūturutia ngā hara o mua e tētahi whakataunga, e whakamauru rānei i te mamae i pā kino ki a Ngāti Rangitihi, e rorotu ana te ngākau ki ngā rā e heke nei e mahi tahi ai a Ngāti Rangitihi me te Karauna hei nōhanga kōtui pakari, hei oranga mō Ngāti Rangitihi, mō ngā whakatupuranga hoki e haere mai nei,” hei tā Andrew Little.

Ko Ngāti Rangitihi tētahi o ngā iwi o Te Arawa e noho tūturu ana i Rotorua, i Kaingaroa, me Matatā. Ko Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi te rōpū whakahaere o muri i te whakataunga.

I waitohua te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga a Ngāti Rangitihi i Rangitihi Marae i Matatā i te 5 o Hakihea, 2020.

Kei te pae tukutuku nei tētahi kape a te Whakaaetanga Whakataunga e iri ana: https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/OTS/Ngati-Rangitihi-5Dec2020/107596-1601966-Ngati-Rangitihi-deed-of-settlement-signing-version-1-December-2020-CORRECT-VERSION.pdf

Ka kitea te Pire Whakataunga Kerēme a Ngāti Rangitihi ki konei: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2021/0017/latest/LMS466149.html

KA OTI

Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill passes Third Reading

The Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill has passed its third reading at Parliament, the final milestone in their historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement process.

“I want to acknowledge ngā uri o Ngāti Rangitihi and the Crown negotiations teams for working tirelessly during the negotiations process to see this legislation passed,” Andrew Little said.

“This is a significant step and the beginning of a new relationship between Ngāti Rangitihi and the Crown – one based on cooperation, mutual trust and respect.”

Through this settlement, the Crown acknowledges the injustices of its past acts and omissions which breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

This includes the Crown's failure to ensure Ngāti Rangitihi had sufficient land to support themselves in the aftermath of the Tarawera eruption, the Crown’s failure to act in good faith when leasing and purchasing Ngāti Rangitihi land blocks, and excessive land taking at Te Ariki for Public Works.

In recognition of the Crown’s failure to protect the Tarawera River from pollution associated with the Tasman Pulp and Paper mill, the settlement will establish the Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group. This group, consisting of iwi and government representatives, will support, coordinate and promote the integrated restoration of the mauri of the Tarawera River catchment.

This settlement package will provide Ngāti Rangitihi $4 million of financial redress on top of $7 million on-account commercial redress received through the 2008 Central North Island Forests Iwi Collective Settlement. It also includes the vesting of 19 sites, including the Waimangu Volcanic Valley as cultural redress.

“Ngāti Rangitihi have waited a long time for this day and although no settlement can truly atone for past injustices or compensate for the hurt Ngāti Rangitihi have endured, I look forward to the future where Ngāti Rangitihi and the Crown are working in close partnership, to benefit Ngāti Rangitihi and future generations,” Andrew Little said.

Ngāti Rangitihi is a Te Arawa iwi based in and around Rotorua, Kaingaroa and Matatā. Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi is the post-settlement governance entity.

The Ngāti Rangitihi Deed of Settlement was signed at Rangitihi Marae in Matatā on 5 December 2020.

A copy of the Deed of Settlement is available at: https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/OTS/Ngati-Rangitihi-5Dec2020/107596-1601966-Ngati-Rangitihi-deed-of-settlement-signing-version-1-December-2020-CORRECT-VERSION.pdf

The Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill can be found here at: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2021/0017/latest/LMS466149.html

ENDS