- Wednesday 8 September 2010
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Crown clears path to landmarks
Lake Wairarapa
The Waitangi Tribunal has now placed important regional landmarks within reach of Maori claimants including Lake Wairarapa, Pukaha Mt Bruce and the Ruamahanga River.
The tribunal on Saturday passed to Rangitane o Wairarapa and Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa representatives a long-awaited report on the Wairarapa and Tararua regions.
The three-volume report _ handed over before a crowd of hundreds at a ceremony at Te Ore Ore Marae _ found Crown officials in the 19th century bought Wairarapa and Tararua land in ''ruthless and reckless fashion'' without the full consent of iwi, failed to offer and maintain land reserves and denied access to customary resources.
Tipene Chrisp, Treaty of Waitangi claims manager of Rangitane o Wairarapa iwi authority, said the Crown needed to show the iwi authority what land was available, but Mt Bruce, the land bank, and the Ruamahanga River were on its radar.
''It's unlikely that large tracts of land will be returned to Rangitane or Ngati Kahungunu _ there's no intention to claim anyone else's property.
''The bulk of the settlement is likely to be made up of cash, some Crown lands where they are available and the tribunal made specific reference to the lake bed of Lake Wairarapa and Lake Onoke.''
The iwi was open to claiming other rivers as well but was still considering its options.
Locations including Mt Bruce and the rivers were unlikely to be owned outright but would have an ownership arrangement similar to other iwi settlements.
Mr Chrisp said the Tainui iwi managed the Waikato River, and Ngai Tahu had gifted Mt Aoraki back to New Zealand.
The authority would choose Crown land based on how it related to their development vision.
''It's not just a matter of making us money, and I don't want to downplay that, but benefiting our community as well.''
A corporation would be set up before a settlement, and Mr Chrisp pointed to Tainui's model of a parent company with arms for tribal and business affairs.
He was confident of settlement before the Government's 2014 deadline: ''It's not going to benefit anyone to have it hanging around for years and years.''
Nelson Rangi, Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa iwi authority chairman, said a significant number of the Ngati Kahungunu claims are being pursued by individual hapu and extended family groups.
He said the authority would assist some claimants and groups if invited and organise a representative body before negotiations begin.
He believed the Government deadline for settlement was ''overly optimistic''.
''At this point most Kahungunu claims are being led through extended family groups or are hapu-driven.
He said the original authority had come to ''a shuddering stop'' several years ago and was reformed after wide consultation throughout Wairarapa.
''It was overwhelmingly decided the iwi would not spearhead treaty negotiations and hapu and marae would work things their own way and come together as a federation.''
Mr Rangi said the reformed Kahungunu ki Wairarapa iwi had ''a generic claim'' lodged for the most part in relation to the alleged Crown failure to uphold land purchase agreements conditional to a 5 per cent clause meant to have paid for medical and educational benefits for the Maori vendors' descendants.
He said Wairarapa Moana Trust, of which he was a past chairman, had made a claim to Lake Wairarapa and Lake Onoke, its surrounding wetlands and environs.
Mr Rangi expected the lakes claim to be successful with a kaitiaki, or guardianship, role.
