MEDIA STATEMENT

Ngai Te Rangi Settlement Trust; Nga Potiki A Tamapahore Trust

12 December 2013

Tauranga iwi reach Treaty settlement milestone

Tauranga-based iwi Ngai Te Rangi have reached a milestone in their Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations with the Crown.

The iwi will sign a Deed of Settlement this Saturday, marking the end of their negotiations with the Crown over redress for historical acts and omissions that saw the two tribes face loss of life and loss of lands and resources that enabled them to survive and contribute to the regional and national economies.

“For almost 150 years, more than five generations of our people have been carrying an unbearable pain that this weekend will end and allow us to get on with the work of moving forward,” said Ngai Te Rangi spokesperson Charlie Tawhiao.

“We’re very pleased to hear that the Crown has acknowledged that, up until now, it has not properly dealt with the injustices we’ve suffered, that it now recognises we had control over our tribal area up until it started the war with us in 1864 that caused real suffering for many of our people.”

Nga Potiki obtained their own mandate alongside Ngai Te Rangi and have successfully worked with Ngai Te Rangi to have their claims addressed in this process.

In addition to these confiscations, Nga Potiki also suffered from wholesale implementation of the Public Works Act, said Nga Potiki spokesperson Colin Reeder.

Key features of the settlement redress, which will soon head to Parliament to be legislated, include:

•          Compensation of $29.5 million to Ngai Te Rangi and $3.1 million to Nga Potiki
•          Ownership of Motuotau Island and Karewa to Ngai Te Rangi
•          Ownership of 10 hectares of Otara Maunga to Nga Potiki
•          The right of first refusal to purchase numerous properties in Tauranga
•          Ownership of Puwhenua and Otanewainuku scenic reserves to various tribes and Maori land authorities including Ngai Te Rangi
•          Legal recognition of the cultural, spiritual, historical and traditional associations Ngai Te Rangi and Nga Potiki have with several waterways and coastal areas in the Tauranga district
•          Recognition of the Maori names for several places in Tauranga district
•          A commitment from the Crown to address significant housing needs signalled by Ngai Te Rangi and Nga Potiki

The signing ceremony will take place this Saturday at Whareroa Marae in Tauranga, starting at 9.30am with a pohiri to Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson and others.

To mark the milestone, Ngai Te Rangi will be holding numerous festival activities, over four days beginning this Friday, to celebrate how far they have come over the past 150 years.

ENDS

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