Initialling Deed of Settlement brings $100 million one step closer

Te Tira Whakaemi o Te Wairoa (Te Tira) has initialled its Deed of Settlement with the Crown at Parliament today, marking a significant step in its Treaty of Waitangi negotiations process.

More than three decades after the initial Wairoa claims were lodged with the Waitangi Tribunal, Te Tira is set to secure financial redress of $100 million for its iwi and hapū beneficiaries.

If ratified by the iwi and hapū, this will be the fifth biggest Treaty of Waitangi Settlement in terms of financial redress.

Te Tira Chairman Tāmati Olsen says the initialling ceremony was a powerful milestone in the negotiations process and a significant day in Wairoa’s history.

“The progression of Treaty of Waitangi claims against the Crown has a long and important history in Wairoa, stretching back to the early 1980s,” Tāmati says.

“Our goal has always been to achieve the best result for our iwi and hapū, and we believe this settlement will allow us to move towards a better future – economically, socially and culturally.”

Following today’s initialling of the Deed of Settlement, a voting process for iwi and hapū members will run over the following months.

If the Deed of Settlement is ratified, it will be signed with the Crown in Wairoa and legislation passed later this year. Te Tira Whakaemi is made up of seven clusters representing iwi and hapū across the Wairoa district.

“The initialling of the Deed of Settlement is the first step in the final stage of this journey,”

“For our settlement to go ahead, we need our people to vote in support.

“We want everyone to be a part of this; it’s our chance to build a better future for our whānau, our tamariki, and all the generations after them,” Tāmati says.

Te Tira is holding a series of Information Hui across New Zealand from July 22 to August 7, 2016 where people can get more information, register and vote.

“These Hui will be a great chance for people to come along and find out more about the Settlement and why their vote is so important,” Tāmati says.

For more information, visit www.tetirawhakaemi.iwi.nz

ENDS

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