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Ngati Porou Settlement Bill


Ngati Porou Settlement Bill
Mr Speaker I move that the Ngati Porou Settlement Bill be read a third time
To the sons and daughters of Porou Ariki Te Matatara a Whare Te Tuhi Mareikura o Rauru, welcome.
From the resting place of the sacred waka Nukutaimemeha atop the peaks of Hikurangi, to the Waiapu waters at Rangitukia as it surges into Te Moana Nui A Kiwa.
The first on earth to see the dawn of a new day – since the dawn of time itself: Ngati Porou mana whenua, mana moana, mana tangata, mana Atua.
Ko Hikurangi te maunga, Ko Waiapu te awa, Ko Ngati Porou te iwi
Mr Speaker.
The area of interest for Ngāti Porou is on the East Coast of the North Island. One of Aotearoa’s largest iwi with 72,000 members, the marae of Porourangi are located around the East Cape from Potikirua in the north to Te Toka a Taiau in the south, covering 400,000 hectares.

The historical grievances of Ngāti Porou relate primarily to the Crown’s failure to honour its Treaty promise to respect Ngāti Porou rangatiratanga over their own affairs.
Ngāti Porou rangatira signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, and from then on sought to uphold the Treaty as a matter of honour. However Crown actions soon created some disillusionment among Ngāti Porou as to the Crown’s commitment to the Treaty.
The Crown imposed land tenure reform on Ngāti Porou which deprived iwi members of collective control over their land, and made it difficult to utilise their land for economic development
While it is not possible to fully compensate Ngāti Porou, nor any claimant group, for the loss their people have suffered, the redress in this bill seeks to recognise the longstanding cultural and spiritual association that Ngāti Porou have within the region. It gives effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the Deed of Settlement by offering reconciliation redress including an agreed historical account, Crown acknowledgements and apology; cultural redress that vests sites of cultural and historical significance; and a number of arrangements designed to facilitate good working relationships between Ngāti Porou and the Crown.
The financial, commercial and cultural redress of the settlement totals $110 million. This comprises $90 million in financial and commercial redress, $20 million in cultural and historical redress, and redress over Crown properties including licensed forest land
I am confident that the Ngāti Porou Claims Settlement Bill will settle the claims of Ngāti Porou in a full and final matter, and set the foundation for a productive future relationship with the Crown.
The Crown apologises to Ngāti Porou for past dealings that breached the Crown’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi. These include the detention without trial of some Ngāti Porou on the Chatham Islands, the Crown’s abuse at times of its monopoly powers to purchase Ngāti Porou land, and the Crown’s failure in a number of ways to respect Ngāti Porou rangatiratanga in the administration of their own land.
This settlement will see the creation of a strategic partnership arrangement where the Crown and Ngāti Porou jointly develop a separate section of the East Coast Bay of Plenty Conservation Management Strategy to be known as Ngā Whakahaere Takirua mö Ngā Paanga Whenua o Ngāti Porou. This arrangement will provide Ngāti Porou with input into the strategic governance of specified public conservation lands within the Ngāti Porou area of interest.
Fifteen sites of cultural and historical significance will be vested in Ngāti Porou, totalling approximately 5,898 hectares. These sites are currently administered by the Department of Conservation except for one site, Taitai (170 hectares), which is Crown forest land administered by Land Information New Zealand.
The Crown also recognises that Ngāti Porou have a proud record of military service overseas in New Zealand’s defence. The New Zealand Defence Force and Ngāti Porou seek to affirm their relationship through the naming of officer entry scholarships, and higher defence training programmes that are awarded to people of Ngāti Porou descent. The naming will be subject to the recipient’s approval.
As we prepare to settle the Treaty of Waitangi claims of the descendents of Porourangi, it is fitting to honour those who are not here in body but who no doubt are here in the hearts and minds of their people and whose spirit lives on in the words of this historic settlement.
Mr Speaker we pay tribute to: Mate Kaiwai , Dr Te Kapunga Koro Dewes, Dame Katarina Mataira , Dr Paratene Ngata, Sir Henare Kohere Ngata, Merekaraka Ngarimu, Anaru Paenga, Hopa Keelan, Waho Tibble, Wi Kuki Kaa, Martin Kingi, Jules Ferris, Honore Chesley, Tame Te Maro and Whaia McClutchie.
Mr Speaker, Ngati Porou mana whenua, mana moana, mana tangata, mana Atua.

I commend this Bill to the House.

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