Andersen GinnyHon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour): Ko te mihi tuatahi ki te Atua nāna nei ngā mea katoa. Ko te mihi tuarua ki te Whare e tū nei tēnā koe. Apiti hono tātai hono te hunga mate ki te hunga mate. Apiti hono tātai hono te hunga ora ki te hunga ora.He mihi mahana tēnei ki te iwi Ngāti Tara Tokanui. He mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou huihui mai tātou katoa. [My first acknowledgment is to God who is the creator of all. My second acknowledgment is to this House I thank you. Those who have passed on to those who have passed on. We the living to the living.I extend my warm greetings to Ngāti Tara Tokanui. My warmest greetings to us all. I thank you all who have gathered here.] It has taken many years for Ngāti Tara Tokanui to reach this point on the long road which is the settlement journey. First I would like to acknowledge those tīpuna of the iwi who have since passed away who have given many hours and many days of their lives for this settlement process to reach this point in time.I want to acknowledge the negotiators Russell Karu and Amelia Williams for their dedication to their people and also for being part of the settlement since it began back in 2011. I'd also like to acknowledge those trustees of the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Trust and also those who will have a pathway in administering the assets and the cultural redress that this settlement package delivers. On the Crown side both Rick Barker and Michael Dreaver have had a key role in negotiating over the many years that have passed.The deed of settlement itself with Ngāti Tara Tokanui began at Ngahutoitoi Marae when in 2011 iwi members formally gave the mandate to begin negotiations and the path then began. An agreement in principle was then reached in 2011 and the deed of settlement was signed here in Parliament in 2017 and the first reading of this bill was around Matariki last year. The deed of settlement itself records the Crown's acknowledgment and apology for its breaches of the Treaty in relation to Ngāti Tara Tokanui and I think it's worthwhile to go through a few of those in order to understand what is the purpose of this redress in terms of the grievances that are being attempted to be resolved. Between 1865 and 1868 the Crown confiscated 290000 acres around Tauranga including lands in which Ngāti Tara Tokanui had interests and then from around 1868 the rangatira Te Keepa Raharuhi entered agreements for gold prospecting and mining on Ngāti Tara Tokanui lands in the hope that they would be able to retain some ownership over those lands and also potentially gain some income from the leases in the mining agreements. But instead as with similar iwi around the Hauraki area that was not the case and this is a common tale in the story of colonisation in New Zealand. The Native Land Court processes left this iwi in debt and the Crown's lease arrangements for mining at Ohinemuri did not provide Ngāti Tara Tokanui any income from the goldmining on their lands.Later the Crown purchased the operation of the Native land laws and the Public Works Act took further land alienating the iwi further and fragmenting Ngāti Tara Tokanui. The land was divided up so they could not stay in one place together. Then in 1865—and this is I think an important thing to note—the Crown authorised discharge of the mine tailings which included cyanide-treated waste into the Ohinemuri and Waihou rivers. Ngāti Tara Tokanui used the rivers as water sources for washing for drinking and for using on their crops and those poisons that were discharged into the natural environment caused illness and death within that community. The Crown actions and omissions caused harm to Ngāti Tara Tokanui communities whānau hapū and iwi and left Ngāti Tara Tokanui virtually landless by the 1920s. In the deed of settlement the Crown acknowledges that until now it has failed to address the longstanding grievances of Ngāti Tara Tokanui in an appropriate way and that the recognition of and provision of redress for these grievances and the breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi are long overdue.I would just like to pause for a moment and reflect that it is over 120 years ago since the Crown rode roughshod over the environment and breached the Treaty of Waitangi in order to mine natural resources. As I say those words it's great that here in the House today we're all singing off the same song sheet but it is important to note that there is legislation within this very House now that proposes to do those same wrongs that have been done in the past. There is no difference in what these breaches were in our history 120 years ago to what is proposed: to ignore the Treaty and also to ride roughshod over environmental protections for mining and natural resources. The Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill will give effect and will give compensation for the wrongs of the past and maybe we will be here in another 120 years redressing the wrongs that will go on in the next few years here in New Zealand.The final redress of $6 million is a small amount as noted compared to the losses sustained by this iwi but it is important to note that I really hope that it provides some certainty and foundations for the iwi to move forward in the future. The vesting of seven sites of cultural significance in Ngāti Tara Tokanui including Mimitu Pā and Tawhitiaraia—two sites are jointly vested in the iwi Hako and Ngāti Tamaterā including Karangahake. The Karangahake area is especially important as this holds special significance to Ngāti Tara Tokanui. It has been described by the people as their heart—manawa—of their rohe and I'm pleased to see that the relationship with this area will be recognised by the redress provided through the bill.The redress includes relationship protocols with Crown agencies and also it provides the ability for statements of association with 14 areas of significance including the very river I spoke about—the Ohinemuri River and its tributaries—and that is enhancing Ngāti Tara Tokanui's ability to participate in resource management processes providing a strong partnership for working together in the future. It is providing an overlay classification or whenua rāhui which provides for the Crown to acknowledge iwi values in relation to Karangahake Scenic Reserve and also a cultural redress payment for Ngāti Tara Tokanui cultural revitalisation.In conclusion I'm always kind of sad and happy on these bills. I'm sad to see the hurt that has been done but also pleased that this gives iwi an opportunity. It gives Ngāti Tara Tokanui an opportunity to have some more determination around their own future and to make decisions that can benefit their people in the way that only they know how. While no settlement package can ever ever fully compensate the magnitude of loss suffering and prejudice it is my real hope that this package provides some comfort future hope and sustenance to this iwi going forward. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.