Hon Parekura Horomia
Minister of Mäori Affairs

14 October 2008 Media Statement
Crown Settles Te Wānanga o Raukawa Treaty Claim

Minister of Maori Affairs, Parekura Horomia and Minister for Tertiary Education, Pete Hodgson and Te Wānanga o Raukawa have today signed a deed of settlement which brings to an end the 1999 Waitangi Tribunal Wānanga Capital Establishment claim (Wai 718) for Te Wānanga o Raukawa.

The Crown will pay Te Wānanga o Raukawa $50.649 million to settle the claim.

“This agreement acknowledges the unique contribution that Te Wānanga o Raukawa makes to the tertiary network of provision,” said Minister Horomia.

The Crown acknowledges that it failed to provide wānanga with capital establishment grants in a similar manner to mainstream tertiary institutions.

“The settlement recognises that inclusive of a range of factors, Te Wānanga o Raukawa has capital needs and characteristics that are comparable in the context of the settlement to those of a university-like institution,” said Minister Horomia.

The settlement of $50.649 million is sufficient to cover Te Wānanga o Raukawa for the cost of bringing its buildings, plant, and equipment up to a standard comparable to other tertiary institutions. It also provides for the current roll of Te Wānanga o Raukawa and any growth over the next three years.

The settlement concludes the Wai 718 negotiations with each of the wānanga. Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi settled their claims in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

It is anticipated that the one remaining issue, about a business case for Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, as agreed with them will be settled by no later than December 2010.

The Deed of Settlement was signed at Te Wānanga o Raukawa on Wednesday 15 October 2008.

ENDS

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