Tears as journey's end draws near

The Whanganui River claim has been a 'long journey'. Photo/Bevan Conley

Old people were in tears at the initialling of the deed of settlement for the Whanganui River claim, as they remembered the efforts of those who pursued it before them.

Gerrard Albert, Whanganui's negotiating team spokesman, said he was as emotional as anyone else.

"It's been a long journey, not just for myself but for the people who worked hard for the last five years, the 10 years before that and the 140 years before that."

Mr Albert guessed up to 20,000 iwi members could be included in the settlement, though the exact number is unknown.

Now the deed has been initialled, Whanganui iwi and hapu have at least three weeks to discuss it before voting whether to approve it.

The basic framework of the settlement was agreed in 2012. It was now time to examine the detail, Mr Albert said.

"We want to make sure people understand how it works, and we want their feedback."

All adult members of the iwi will be eligible to vote. The settlement will be approved if a high percentage - perhaps 75 per cent to 85 per cent - agree.

When the settlement is final, the Whanganui River Maori Trust Board, which negotiated on the iwi's behalf, will be dissolved. Another trust will be formed to handle the affairs of the river.

It will also look after the $80 million the iwi will receive in financial redress.

The money will not be split up and distributed to individuals, Mr Albert said.

"It belongs to everybody. It's not designed to be a situation where you do split it up."

The spending of any large amount would have to be voted on by iwi members.

Money was not the main focus of the settlement, but the scale of the redress was "up there", he said.

"As with every settlement, the financial redress is never as full as you could like it to be. But on the scale of settlements this one is up there, particularly given the fact that the iwi still has land settlements to work through."

He imagined that during the next three weeks there would be people seeking to "carve out a bit of (it) just for themselves".

Members of the Uenuku iwi, centred on Raetihi, plan a protest hikoi (march) to the Kingsgate Hotel in Victoria Ave today, where spokesman Aiden Gilbert said Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson would be continuing settlement negotiations. Members fear their interests have not be represented in the settlement.

Mr Albert said Uenuku members would be welcomed at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens by Whanganui kaumatua, and given a message.

"There's no problem with the hikoi but at the end of the day you need to be speaking the truth."

Uenuku were invited to the Kingsgate, Mr Albert said, along with other groups. The meeting with Mr Finlayson was not about the river claim but about which group or groups would be chosen to negotiate the region's land claims.

There could be as many as four groups mandated - Ngati Haua, Ngati Rangi, one of three Uenuku groups and Whanganui.

Multiple mandates for land would not interfere with the Whanganui River entity, which Mr Albert said would stay as one.