Thursday, 19 April 2001 Pänui päpaho - Media release

Ngati Ruanui settlement in sight

The Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Margaret Wilson has welcomed the strong vote in favour of the Ngati Ruanui Deed of Settlement. The audited vote count shows an 87.7% vote in favour of the agreement.

The grievances of Ngati Ruanui arose from unjustified acts by the Crown in the 1860s, including waging war, confiscation of land, imprisonments, the return of some land under unfair leasehold arrangements and the assault on Ngati Ruanui people and others at Parihaka.

"Now that the people have approved the settlement, the next move belongs to the Crown," said Ms Wilson.

"I will be taking a paper to the Cabinet Policy Committee and then to Cabinet within the next two weeks proposing that the government sign the Deed of Settlement with Ngati Ruanui as a binding document. This will allow legislation to be introduced and passed later this year as the final stage in the settlement.

"Then the Crown and Ngati Ruanui can put the tragic past behind us and look to a strong future relationship.

"The Ngati Ruanui settlement is important in itself, but also of significance for the whole nation because it is the first of the Taranaki claims to reach this stage. I hope that within 2 or 3 months to be close to the initialling of a Deed Settlement with Ngati Tama and continuing the achievement represented by the Ngati Ruanui agreement," said Ms Wilson.

The Deed provides that the Crown will:

- formally apologise
- provide commercial redress of 41 million dollars in land or cash in recognition of the economic losses suffered by Ngati Ruanui.
- transfer five sites of significance to Ngati Ruanui
- acknowledge Ngati Ruanui fishing rights and rights over areas of importance to the iwi,
- agree that Ngati Ruanui will also have a 50 year right of first refusal to buy, at full market value, certain Crown-owned land in the area.

Full details of the Deed of Settlement can be viewed at http://www.executive.govt.nz/minister/wilson/ngati-ruanui/index.html
Ngati Ruanui

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