Hon Christopher Finlayson
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations
7 August 2013
Further progress in Treaty settlement legislation
The Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill, which will settle the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of the central North
Island iwi, Raukawa, passed its first reading today in extended sitting hours today, and will now be considered by the
Māori Affairs Committee.
Te Urewera-Tuhoe Bill was also introduced to the House today, and will receive its first reading in due course. The bill
will ultimately be split into two bills, giving effect to the deed of settlement signed between the Crown and Ngāi Tuhoe
in June, and also a Te Urewera Bill governing the new status of Te Urewera as its own legal identity.
‘Te Urewera-Tuhoe Bill is the sixth Treaty settlement bill introduced this year and follows on from a record eleven
settlement bills completed in 2012,” Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson said. “The six
bills will settle the historical claims of fifteen claimant groups.”
“A total of 66 claims have been settled since negotiations started over 20 years ago, with over half having been settled
in the last four years. We are making great progress towards resolving all historical Treaty grievances”
“These numbers show the extraordinary distance we have come towards our goal of just and timely resolution of historical
claims,” Mr Finlayson said. “But every individual settlement that makes up that headline figure is significant and
provides for the particular claimants’ situation.”
“Te Urewera-Tuhoe Bill for example addresses some of the most appalling acts of the New Zealand Crown over many decades,
and provides innovative redress to restore the relationship of Ngāi Tuhoe with Te Urewera, as well as allowing the iwi
to provide for its future by establishing an economic base.”
The Raukawa settlement includes an agreed historical account, Crown acknowledgments and apology and commercial redress
of totalling $50 million including the value of the 2008 Central North Island Forestry Settlement, and also returns
culturally significant sites along the Waikato River and in other areas and strengthens the commercial relationship
between Raukawa and Mighty River Power.
ENDS