Four Northland iwi are a step closer to finalising their Treaty settlements after the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill had its first reading in Parliament yesterday.
The Crown has already signed Deeds of Settlement with Te Aupouri, Ngai Takoto, Te Rarawa and Ngati Kuri but the Bill, once passed, will make them law.
Each settlement includes a summary of the agreed historical account, Crown acknowledgments of its breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, and an apology. The settlements are worth a total of $148 million and include most of Aupouri Forest, several farms and the return of culturally important sites.
The Bill also establishes a statutory board made up of iwi, council and conservation representatives to manage Te Oneroa a Tohe/Ninety Mile Beach.
Northland MP Mike Sabin said the Bill was real progress towards righting the wrongs of the past and securing a brighter, more prosperous future for the iwi of Te Hiku.
Te Rarawa chairman Haami Piripi said the settlement would empower Te Hiku whanau, marae and hapu to move ahead into the future.
"This is also the fulfilment of the aspirations of people like Matiu Rata and other elders of that time who sought to bring prosperity to what has historically been a region of high socio-economic deprivation," he said.
Ngati Kahu is the only Te Hiku iwi yet to settle.