Three Treaty settlement bills pass first reading

Three bills, which will give effect to just and durable historical Treaty settlements for Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pāhauwera and Ngati Maniapoto’s interests in the Waipa River, passed their first reading in the House of Representatives today. 

Parliament debated the Ngā Wai o Maniapoto (Waipā River) Bill, Ngati Porou Claims Settlement Bill and Ngāti Pāhauwera Treaty Claims Settlement Bill.
“The passage of these three bills to select committee shows the government’s progress towards its goal of settling all historical Treaty claims by 2014,” Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson said.

“We are committed to just and durable settlement of historical grievances for the benefit of Maori and all New Zealanders so we can move forward as a nation together."

• The Ngā Wai o Maniapoto (Waipā River) Bill extends the co-governance framework over the Waikato and Waipa rivers established by the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010 to the Upper Waipa River. It allows Ngati Maniapoto to participate in that co-governance framework, the Waikato River Authority. The bill gives effect to a deed of settlement signed between the Crown and iwi in November last year. Ngati Maniapoto has around 31,000 members.

• The Ngāti Porou Claims Settlement Bill settles all claims by that iwi for historical breaches of the Trety of Waitangi by the Crown. The settlement includes financial redress of $110 million and the return of sites of high cultural significance in Ngāti Porou totalling approximately 5,898 hectares. It also provides Ngāti Porou with input into the strategic governance of specific conservation sites and relationship agreements designed to  facilitate good working relationships between specific Crown agencies and Ngāti Porou. Ngati Porou has around 72,000 members.

• The Ngāti Pāhauwera Treaty Claims Settlement Bill settles all the historical Treaty claims of Ngāti Pāhauwera. The redress package includes a Crown apology, financial redress of $20 million and cultural redress involving 16 sites totalling approximately1087 hectares to be vested in Ngāti Pāhauwera, subject to specific conditions including protection of public access.

The bills were referred to the Maori Affairs committee. The Ngāti Porou Claims Settlement Bill and Ngāti Pāhauwera Treaty Claims Settlement Bill will be reported back to the House by 30 August 2011. The Ngā Wai o Maniapoto (Waipā River) Bill will be reported back by 30 June 2011.

The bills were treated as cognate bills. This means two or more bills on related matters, which are taken together for the purposes of discussion and debate at their first readings, by leave of the House. The bills are voted on individually and considered separately at select committee.