PRESS RELEASE

NGĀTI RANGI TRUST

08 AUGUST 2018

Ngāti Rangi Claims Settlement Bill passes First Reading

A contingent of Ngāti Rangi iwi descended on Parliament today to witness the first reading of their settlement bill – Rukutia Te Mana. The Bill has been referred to the Māori Affairs Select Committee.

Trust Chairman Shar Amner said today was an important occasion for Ngāti Rangi.

“This is another significant milestone for Ngāti Rangi and I acknowledge those who begun the claims back in 1991. Rukutia Te Mana recognises the significant amount of work our negotiators have put in to get to this point.

“Since signing our Deed, we have now moved from where the Crown goes so goes Ngāti Rangi’ into a place of ‘where Ngāti Rangi goes so goes the Crown.

Rukutia Te Mana is framed around the six Poupou (Pillars) of Ngati Rangi’s settlement framework, Nga Poupou o te Whare Toka o Paerangi (The Pinnacles of the House of Stone of Paerangi) and includes the Crown’s acknowledgement of numerous breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, an agreed historical account and an apology from the Crown for those breaches.

The settlement includes a groundbreaking and integrated new framework for the Whangaehu River catchment called Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika, which recognises the intrinsic connection between the iwi and hapu of Whangaehu with the awa. It also includes the return of the lake beds at Rotokura, a comprehensive Conservation Partnership Framework and special arrangements in relation to pākohe, pākere, onewa and matā.

The settlement includes financial and commercial redress of approximately $17m made up of a combination of cash, commercial redress properties to transfer through the settlement as well as a range of rights of first refusal and deferred selection over specified Crown property.

“This Bill recognises the deep cultural and spiritual connection between Ngāti Rangi iwi and our natural environment. We have suffered greatly because of the Crown’s failure to uphold its Treaty obligations but we acknowledge this is another step toward healing the mamae between Ngāti Rangi and the Crown” concluded Mr Amner.

The Bill does not contain redress in relation to the area within the Tongariro National Park. The Crown has committed to collective negotiations with all iwi with an interest in the area of the Park, which will occur at a later date.

Copies of the Ngāti Rangi Deed of Settlement can be found at https://www.govt.nz/treaty-settlement-documents/ngati-rangi/.

ENDS

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