11 June 2008
Revised settlement reached with Te Arawa
Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa, representing the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi/Hapu has signed a revised Deed of Settlement with the
Crown to settle their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen signed the agreement on behalf of the Crown on Te Pakira Marae in Rotorua
this morning.
The Affliate Te Arawa Iwi/Hapu have a membership of approximately 24,000 and assert interests in an area of over 500,000
hectares. A large portion of this area is licensed Crown forest land.
“I would like to pay tribute to the patience, flexibility and determination of Te Pumautanga,” Dr Cullen said. “It has
been a long road for all of us to reach this point, but together we have achieved a result that lays the foundation for
settlements throughout the region.”
The Deed of Settlement includes:
- a formal apology from the Crown to the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi/Hapu for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi;
- an amended financial redress package to reflect Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa’s participation in the Central North Island
Collective settlement;
- the transfer of 19 areas of Crown-owned land of special significance to the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi/Hapu; and
- redress that will enable increased input into management over Crown-owned land, and protocols with certain government
agencies.
The revised settlement no longer includes redress over forestry assets. Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa have agreed that their
historical claims to the Central North Island forests will be settled in any future Central North Island Collective
settlement.
Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa have sought and received the approval of the people they represent for the revised Deed over
recent weeks.
The Deed is now conditional only on the passage of settlement legislation giving effect to the settlement. Legislation
has been prepared for introduction into Parliament within the next fortnight.
Further progress in the central North Island and other regions is likely to be announced in the coming weeks.
ENDS