Ngapuhi delays allocation of settlement

Ngapuhi's allocation of $65 million worth of fisheries settlement has been delayed for a year because the tribe says it has to make time-consuming constitutional changes.

Ngapuhi runanga chairman Sonny Tau said last September that he hoped to have allocated money this year but changes to the constitution had delayed allocation.

Changes to the iwi's constitution were ordered by a parliamentary select committee debating the Maori Fisheries Bill, which was settled last year after 12 years of protracted negotiations.

The changes included Ngapuhi having to allow Ngati Hine, a hapu (subtribe), to leave the grouping if it wished to and increasing the number of people registered with its runanga by 11,000.

Mr Tau was angry with the Maori Fisheries Bill select committee for changing the bill at the "last minute" as the runanga had complied with all previous criteria so it could quickly allocate money.

"The select committee savaged the bill that had been agreed to by 90 per cent of country," he said. "We don't mind the (increased) accountability but what we object to is a few politicians who had no idea (of what they were doing)."

The $750 million Maori Fisheries Bill represents full and final settlement of Maori claims to commercial fishing. The legislation created Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd, which will manage half the assets, while the other half is allocated directly to iwi.

The company will have an interest in about a third of New Zealand's $1.2 billion commercial fishing industry and iwi, as shareholders, will receive dividends.

Ngapuhi will receive $3 million cash when the constitution changes are approved. The rest of the tribe's $65.6 million settlement will be tied up in fishing quota and shares in Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd. The tribe has also had its fishing quota doubled.

Mr Tau expected his tribe's members to receive dividends from Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd in about five years.

Money will be given to tribal members through such sources as grants and discretionary funds.

Meanwhile, the issue of Ngati Hine wanting to break away so it can manage its own assets and become an iwi has not been resolved as Ngati Hine spokesman Erima Henare and Mr Tau have not met to discuss the matter.

The issue had been contested by Ngapuhi as it would mean fisheries assets would be taken away from the iwi.

The Maori Fisheries Bill allows Ngati Hine to become an iwi if it leaves Ngapuhi within eight years and gets itself up to iwi standards such as developing robust accounting procedures and a constitution.

Mr Henare could not be contacted but he said last year that staying with Ngapuhi would give both groups a chance to talk and "clean some of the family linen".

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)