MEDIA STATEMENT
On behalf of Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa

22 August 2016

Last chance for Wairoa iwi to vote on $100 million Treaty Settlement

Voting on the Deed of Settlement for iwi and hapū of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa will close this Friday at 5pm, with the results determining whether the $100 million Settlement will go ahead.

With just five days left to vote, Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa is encouraging anyone with whakapapa to the iwi and hapū of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa to get involved and have their say on their future.

Chairman Tāmati Olsen says the Settlement has the ability to totally transform the future of Wairoa iwi and the entire region.

“This isn’t just about here and now; this is about the generations to come – it’s for our tamariki and mokopuna,” he says.

Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa has already received a high number of votes, but more than 1,500 people registered with Te Tira have yet to cast their votes.

“We urge these people to have their say before Friday; this chance won’t come around again,” Tāmati says.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved, to put our grievances behind us and build a better future for our people – economically, socially and culturally.”

The voting process is crucial to the completion of the Treaty Settlement journey for the Wairoa Inquiry District, which started more than thirty years ago.

If the Settlement goes ahead, it will be the fifth largest Treaty of Waitangi Settlement in terms of financial redress.

Iwi members can register and vote online or by post. Information on the Deed of Settlement and how to vote is available atwww.tetirawhakaemi.iwi.nz

ENDS

About Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa
Te Tira is the mandated representative for iwi and hapū throughout the Wairoa Inquiry District to achieve one comprehensive settlement of all their historical Treaty of Waitangi claims with the Crown. Through seven clusters of iwi and hapū groups across the region, Te Tira collectively represents approximately 34,000 people.

For more information, visit Te Tira’s website www.tetirawhakaemi.iwi.nz, Facebook page www.facebook.com/tetirawhakaemi or You Tube channelhttp://bit.ly/2bHXgnh

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