Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana sign Agreement in Principle with the Crown

Ka waitohu a Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana me te Karauna i te Whakaaetanga Mātāpono

Kua oti i a Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana me te Karauna te Whakaaetanga ā-Matāpono te waitohu, he tohu o te ekenga o tētahi taumata nunui o te whakataunga hītori Tiriti o Waitangi a Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana.

“He kokenga atu anō tēnei ki te whakatauranga o ngā nawe roroa, o ngā kerēme hītori Tiriti o Waitangi hoki a Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana,” hei tā te Minita mō ngā take Tiriti o Waitangi, hei tā Andrew Little.

“E hiahia ana ahau ki te whakamānawa i te manawanui, te ngākau titikaha, me te manawaroa o ngā rōpū katoa – ko Ngāti Ruapani, ko te Karauna, me ō rāua rōpū whiriwhiri – mō rātou i mahi tahi kia ea ai tēnei rā.”

Ko tōna 3,500 tāngata te tokomaha o Ngāti Ruapani, ā, he rohe pānga tōna e karapoti ana i te roto moana nei, i Waikaremoana.

I roto i te whakaaetanga nei, ka arongia e te Karauna āna mahi me āna aweretanga o mua i wāwāhia ai te Tiriti o Waitangi, tae atu ki ngā mahi taikaha ki te kapo whenua mai i a Ngāti Ruapani, me te korenga ōna e whakatūturu he rawaka ōna whenua kia ngata ai ngā hiahia o te rangi nei, o āpōpō hoki, o ōna uri.

Ka whakatakoto te whakaaetanga mātāpono i te whakataunga, kei roto ko te puretumu ā-pūtea e $24 miriona, te āheinga ki te hoko i ā te Karauna hea o Patunamu Forest Limited, me ngā whenua tauhoko o te Karauna kei roto i te rohe pānga o Ngāti Ruapani.

“Ahakoa e kore e ea i tēnei mea, te whakataunga ko te mamae, te mate, me ngā hē o mua i pā ki a Ngāti Ruapani, koia tēnei ko tōku tūmanako tūturu ka para te whakaaetanga o te rangi nei i te ara ki tētahi whakatauranga mātotoru, ki tētahi whakahoanga roroa hoki i waenga i te Karauna me Ngāti Ruapani hei oranga mō ōna uri,” hei tā Andrew Little.

Hei konei whakairia ai tētahi kape o te Whakaaetanga Mātāpono.

KA OTI

Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana sign Agreement in Principle with the Crown

Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and the Crown have signed an Agreement in Principle, marking a significant milestone towards the settlement of Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana’s historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

“This is another step towards resolving the long-standing grievances and historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana,” Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little said.

“I want to acknowledge the patience, commitment and determination of both parties - Ngāti Ruapani, the Crown and their negotiation teams - for working together to make this important day possible.”

Ngāti Ruapani have a population of approximately 3,500 people and an area of interest centred around Lake Waikaremoana.

In the agreement, the Crown acknowledges its past acts and omissions that breached the Treaty of Waitangi, including using aggressive measures to acquire land from Ngāti Ruapani, and failing to ensure they retained sufficient land for the present and future needs of their people.

The agreement in principle outlines the settlement, which includes financial redress of $24 million, the option to purchase the Crown’s share in the Patunamu Forest Limited and commercial properties owned by the Crown in the Ngāti Ruapani area of interest.

“While no settlement can truly compensate for the grief, loss, and past injustices Ngāti Ruapani have endured, it is my sincere hope that today’s agreement paves the way towards a comprehensive settlement and enduring partnership between the Crown and Ngāti Ruapani for the wellbeing of their people,” Andrew Little said.

A copy of the Agreement in Principle will be made available here.

ENDS