Way paved to return confiscated land to iwi

Morris Meha, front, from Ngati Tamateatutahi on Lake Rotoiti wants to get his whanau land back from the the Rotorua Lakes Council. Photo/Ben Fraser

Rotorua Lakes Council has moved to remedy a long-standing iwi grievance over confiscated land on the eastern shore of Lake Rotoiti.

The strip of land is part of a parcel of land taken from Ngati Tamateatutahi by the Crown 118 years ago.

At a council committee meeting last week members recommended starting a process to "stop" Tamatea St as a public road.

The action would allow Ngati Tamateatutahi's Tamatea Trust to apply to the Maori Land Court under the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 for a roadway order, which would effectively return the land to its original owners.Becoming a legal road would confer the same rights on users as if it were still a public road.

In 1897 the Crown confiscated a larger parcel of land for the purposes of creating the Rotoiti Native Township. The township never eventuated and most of the taken land was returned to iwi ownership in 1923.

However, the Tamatea St strip was not returned to iwi and instead, in 1958, was transferred to the then-Rotorua County Council. This has been the subject of a long-standing grievance by Ngati Tamateatutahi ever since.

Last week's committee recommendation would now go to the next council meeting on October 1, for a final decision on whether to proceed. However, that decision would be subject to Te Tahuna Trust protecting existing rights of local residents and securing ongoing public access to the reserve and lakefront, with the council continuing to cover the cost of road maintenance.

Te Tahuna Trust had already signalled its acceptance of the provisions.

Councillor Karen Hunt said the decision to return ownership to iwi would be about righting a wrong.

"I am really delighted with this. It has sat around for 100 years and it is high time it was resolved," she said at the meeting.

Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said because the trust owned all the land leases, it would be in its interest to retain the road access.

Mayor Steve Chadwick earlier said the decision would make little material difference to the council, to Tamatea St property owners or to the general public.

"The land's return will be of enormous historic and cultural significance to Ngati Tamateatutahi.

"The recommendation sends a very strong signal that we want to work hand-in-hand with iwi to build a positive future together for our district," Mrs Chadwick said.

If the strategy, policy and finance committee recommendation is endorsed by the council at its next meeting, a public notification process would be undertaken where objections can be lodged by the public before any transfer of title can proceed. The outcome of any objections received, and the final status of the land, would be ultimately determined by the Environment Court.