Minister to meet representatives of Central North Island Iwi on Friday

Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson is due to meet with representatives of Central North Island Iwi on Friday as part of the government’s ongoing work to settle Treaty claims including claims to Crown forest land.

“As signalled in the Speech From The Throne in August the government is keen to progress settlement involving Crown forest land,” she said. “The government has received a number of proposals for doing this and is always open to exploring new ways to achieve settlements at a faster rate.

“However, we need to ensure that we do not disturb the integrity of the current settlement process or disrupt the good progress being made under that process. We have, for example recently initialled a Deed of Settlement with a Bay of Plenty Iwi and are due to so again tomorrow with Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty). Both settlements will involve the transfer of a significant component of Crown forest land.”

Margaret Wilson said as the Minister in charge she has a responsibility to ensure fundamental settlement policies such as comprehensive settlements, fairness between groups and issues of proper representation are maintained.

“Any alternative proposals must be considered in this light,” she said.

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