Flavell Te Ururoa: Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill — Third Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:647;Page:15958] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
Tenatatoukatoa e teWhare. NgatiRanginui Ngai Te Rangi NgatiPukenga Waitaha me ki TaurangaMoana tenakoutou. Tenakoutou nau mai haeremai. Haeremaikoutou me o tatou mate tuatini e takoto mai na i runga i o koutou marae. No reira me penei te korero tukunaratou kia okioki i runga i te moengaroa. Apitihono tataihono ko te akaaka o te rangi ki a ratou; apitihono tataihono ko te akaaka o te whenua ki a tatou te hunga ora. Kai aku rangatira tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa.  
Kiamohiomaikoutou ka ahuawehewehe nei taku korerokiamaramamai ai tekatoa o teWhare i teneikorero engari kotewahanga tuatahi he reoMaorikatoa.  
Kotatatou i tenei rangi keiakurangatira kote whakanui i a Mauao e turangatira e tutokana e rongo nei i te tai e timu ana e pari ana i onatahataha. Koiatera e tumaira i waenganui i a OtanewainukurauakoPuwhenua. Hei te whitinga mai o te ra ara a Mauao. Kua mau i a ia ko te ao. Ka tu mo ake nei hei tohu rangatira o koutou o Ngai te Rangi o Ngati Ranginui o Ngati Pukenga.  
Ko te hokinga mai o te mana o Mauao he ara tapokopoko he ara roa. Kua hipa noa atu i te kotahi rau tau mai i nga tau kotahi mano waru rau waru tekau. I tauawa me ki i riro ki te Karauna ko te maunga nei. I riro ka mutu me ki i whiwhi i a ia ko te Karauna. Me kiake au ki takutitiro he whaiti noa iho te mohio o te Karauna mo te hitori o Mauao. E ai ki tangatangata mahi huakanga i puta mai te maunga nei i ngawhamiriona tau kua hipa atu. I hangaiana te pahutanga o te whenua. Nonatata nei me ki i ngaono tekau ma rima tau kua hipa ko te pungarehu i puta i Okataina i Taupo i Maroa i Tuhua a nateraahuatanga i hangaiangapari o Mauao. Na ka tae mai ki teneiwa kei te mohio koutou i nohoia a Mauao i waenga i te tau kotahi mano rua rau waru tekau ki te kotahi mano rima rau Wa o te Matua Tapu. Ara noa ngakorero otira ko nga taonga nongapa tawhito e toru. Ko te Tihi ko Ranginui tera. Ko tera i te uru ko Kinonui a ko te pa o Maunganui ano hoki. Kai teneiwhakatupurangangakorero e putake mai ana i nga tau kotahi mano ono rau rua tekau ma rima ki te tau kotahi manowhitu rau rima tekau tau tae atu ki te pakanga o Kokowai. Na me ki kua kitea he rua kai he patu paraoa he mata i nga taha o Mauao e tohu nei i te noho o te tangata i reira.  
Kuakorerohiaeneikoreroruarua nei e au hei kupu whakamaramamo te whakapapa o Mauao. He taonga a ia i konei i Aotearoa nei i te ao tonu natonaahuatanga a-huakanga nei. He aha i pera ai? I te mea ko ia te kaitiaki o ngakorero ngahitori o nga rau tau kua hipa a ka noho ngakorero ki a ia a nga tau kei mua i te aroaro. No reira ko ngakorero e pa ana ki te whiwhinga o Mauao i nga tau kotahi mano waru rau waru tekau he koreropakupaku noa iho ki era o te whakapapa roa nei e korerohiaake nei e au i natatanei.  
Koia te mate.Anei te maunga anei te taonga o nga iwi o Tauranga Moana. Noratoutera maunga kaua noNgapuhi kaua no Te Arawa kaua no te Karauna no reira he aha taratou e pirangi nei? Ko Mauao. He maunga nonga iwi o Tauranga Moana. Madam Speaker i te ao Maori ko nga maunga ko nga awa ko nga wai tuku kiri he tohu rangatira o te iwi. E tohu nei era i te rohe potae i nga taonga i te mana o te iwi. Ka whakaaetetahi iwi ki te tuku i tona mana ki tangata ke? E Kao! Kore rawa! Koia te putake o tenei kupu o te raupatu ara he whenua i pakangatia e te tangata. Ki te kore kua murua a ehara i te mea he tauhou a ngaiMaori ki tenei mea te muru whenua.  
Hoi ano me hoki mai au ki a Mauao. Ahakoa peheangahiahia me ngatumanako o te tangata whenua ahakoa ko te hitori ahakoa he taonga a Mauao ki te tangata whenua e ai ki ta te pire nei ka noho tonu a Mauao ano nei no te Karauna te mana. Peneitaetahikaikorero i ki ai mateneipire ka rirokotetaitara o tewhenua o Mauaokingakaitiaki o teMauao Trust kiapuritiatonutiamoNgai Te Rangi NgatiRanginui me NgatiPukenga engari kotonamana ka noho tonu temanakite Karauna. Hoi ano he aha te putake o ngaawangawanga o Tauranga Moana? Ara koiatera ko te mana o Mauao i ngaringaringa o te karauna. He kawa tonu te korero o te wahangatuawhitu ki ngakaitukukoorero. 
He aha i te putake o terawahanga? Ko tauakoreroramo te mana o Mauao engari me mihi au ki te komitiwhaitinaratou tonu i ukuaterawahanga ka mutu i hangaiatetahiwahanga hou ara te mea tuawaru. He kawa tonu te korero te wahangatuawhitu ki ngakaitukukorero. He aha te putake o terawahanga? Ko tauakorerora ko te mana o Mauao. Engari me mihi au ki te komitiwhaitinaratou tonu i ukuiterawahanga i hangai i tetahiwahanga hou. He paingaanora o terawahanga? Hoi ano ae. Ehara i te mea i eke ki te taumata i wawatatia mai engari kei te pai. Ka noho a Mauao hei whenua rahui he whenua ka tiakina e te Minita Take Tiaki Whenua. Ma tana tari tonu e tiaki. Engari kua tukuna e te Minita tona mana ki te Kaunihera o Taone o Tauranga Moana. Koi nei te take kua karangahia nei teneipire he Claytons bill. E ai kitawetahi koteatarangi o temaunga ka noho i ngaringaringa o teiwi engari ka nohoteputakekite Karauna. Koia nei matou o tetorangapuMaori e patai nei he aha i kore ai ngaiwi e toru o TaurangaMoana i riro i temana me tetikangawhakahaere kotetikangawhakahaeretakiruaranei kitoratouakemaunga?  
Ae kotetumanako ka mahitahi mahitakiruaranei engari kowai ka mohio kowai ka hua.  
Me mihi ra ki nga iwi e korerohiaake nei i kaha akiaki nei i tenei take. Ahakoa ko ngauauatanga kua ngana nei koutou ki te kimi i te huarahi pai huarahi ngawarimo Tauranga Moana. Me mihi au ki a koutou o NgatiPukenga Ngai Te Rangi Ngati Ranginui me Waitaha mo o koutou wananga tahi me te kaunihera o te taone o Tauranga. Kua kite nei koutou ko tera i whakaaetia e te Karauna he mea whakaiti ko ta koutou noho hei kaitiaki mo Mauao. He pai keake te whakatau o NgatiPukenga i ta koutou tuhinga i te marama o Here-turi-koka i te tau kua hipa ki te Minita. Anei te korero: “The process thus far has been seriously flawed and our people have been alienated because the mana of our iwi has not been respected. Even so NgatiPukenga has risen above those difficulties as a sign of goodwill and in an effort to be part of a solution that will work well for Tauranga Moana.” 
Me kiano au kotemana o Mauaokeiteputake o teneikorero. KitateKauniheraMaori o Aotearoa me whakahokikore here teMaungaTapu o TaurangaMoanaki nga iwi o TaurangaMoana. KotePoari nei o Mauao tonu me ki kotoratouwahakorero a KihiNgatainana i whakatakoto o ratouwhakaaromotepire nei. Heitana kaoretemana me temauri o Mauao i tukuna e teiwikite Karauna. Noreiraheitana whakahokiatemanawhakahaerekiteiwi maratou tonu e whakatinana i ngamoemoea a kuima a koroma. Engari ka turi tonu maite Karauna. AranoteKomihana for Social Justice notehahiKatorika i Kirikiriroa. Kotana whakahokia tika tonu atutemana o Mauaokingakaitiaki o TaurangaMoana. Noreira kongaropu e toru he ropuMaori he ropuhahi Maori hoki e whakaaronui nei motehapori.  
Hoi ano e teWhare heiwhakakopani i taku korero me peneirawatekorero ka tautokoteTorangapuMaori i teneipirena runga i tewhakaaetanga o ngaiwi e toru. Kai a ratoutekupukorerowhakamutunga kota matou ko Te TorangapuMaori he tautoko he tautoko he tautoko engari he watona pea tonoamaingawhakatipurangakitewhakatutuki i temoemoeakia hoki maitemana o Mauaoki a koutou.  
“Koiara e rongo whakairiaki runga tuturu o whitiwhakamauakiatinahui e.”  
Kiaoratatou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to us the House and to you Ngati Ranginui Ngai Te Rangi NgatiPukenga and Waitaha; indeed Tauranga Harbour greetings. Welcome welcome. Welcome to you with your many deaths lying there on your marae. Let me express it this way: allow them to slumber there in the long sleep and united in the heavens while we the living remain bonded here to each other. So greetings greetings and greetings to you all my leaders.  
Members should note that my address will take a somewhat different form so that the whole House understands it but the first part will be totally in Maori. 
My leaders we are here today to honour Mauao standing majestically and rocklike which hears the tides ebbing and flowing upon its sides as it stands fixed there between Otanewainuku and Puwhenua.  
My leaders today we pay homage to the unique place of Mauao as it stands majestically like a sentinel and hears the ebbs and flows of the tide on its sides fixed by the morning light as a significant marker of yours Ngaite Rangi NgatiRanginui and NgatiPukenga between Otanewainuku and Puwhenua. 
The return of the ownership of Mauao has been a long and difficult one that has been in progress for well over a century dating back to the 1880s when this sacred mountain was acquired by the Crown. “Acquired” means “came to possess it”.  
From what I can see the Crown has little knowledge about the greater history of Mauao—a history that archaeologists tell us can be dated back to about 4 million years ago which came about as the result of a volcanic explosion. More recently about 65000 years ago volcanic ash deposits from Okataina Taupo Maroa and Tuhua helped to form the lower slopes of Mauao. So into the modern day withevidence of occupation on Mauao between 1280 and 1500 AD. There are recorded histories and archaeological artifacts from the three defended pa: the summit pa of Ranginui the western one of Kinonui and Maunganui Pa. This generation retains stories sourced back to between 1625 and 1750 right up to the battle of Kokowai. Storage pits whalebone clubs found on the northern coast and obsidian core sourced from within the flanks of Mauao show that people lived here. 
What I have just said is but a glimpse into the extraordinary whakapapa associated with Mauao. It is known nationally and internationally for its significance as an archaeological landscape. Why is that? It is because Mauao is the guardian of the history and the stories will stay with him in the future. So in the midst of this context then the date of 1880 pales into insignificance. 
And that is the problem. Here is the mountain. It is the mountain of the tribes of Tauranga Harbour—not of Ngapuhi Te Arawa and the Crown. So why would the Crown want to own it? This is Mauao for sure the mountain of Tauranga Harbour. In Maoridom mountains rivers and waterways are chiefly symbols of the people. They symbolise the tribal boundaries treasures and autonomy of the people. Would one allow one’s authority to pass to another? No never. This is the reason for this word “raupatu” [confiscation] land fought over by man. If it is not fought over it is confiscated. And Maori are not strangers to confiscation.  
So let me return to Mauao now. Despite the wishes and aspirations of the people of the land—the history the sacred significance of Mauao to them—according to this bill Mauao remains in Crown ownership.As other speakers have noted the bill vests the fee simple estate of Mauao historic reserve in the trustees of the Mauao Trust to hold on behalf of Ngai Te Rangi Ngati Ranginui and NgatiPukenga.  
So what is causing concern in Tauranga Harbour? It is the ownership of Mauao in Crown hands.  
The transfer of Mauao is stated as being “to assist the Crown’s objective of building healthy relationships with Ngai Te Rangi NgatiRanginui NgatiPukenga and Waitaha”. So we supported the recommendation from t 
he select committee that clause 7 of this bill should be deleted. This is the statement you will recallthat the Mauao historic reserve must be treated as if the fee simple estate in the reserve were still vested in the Crown. Submitters found clause 7 distasteful. In what respect? It was the part that refers to ownership of Mauao. But 
 we commend t 
he select committee which deleted that clause and inserted a new one. Was that beneficial? To some extent yes. Even if it did not achieve quite what was being sought it is fine. Mauao remains a reserve land under the Minister of Conservation for his department to adminster. But the Minister has given his powers to the Tauranga City Council.  
That is the reason this bill has been referred to as a Clayton’s bill. To some only the shadow of the maunga is retained in iwi hands while the substance remains with the Crown. So we in the Maori Party will continue to ask why it is that the three iwi of Tauranga Harbour have not transferred any ownership rights including the right to administer or at least co-administer their own mountain.  
Yes the hope is that they will work as one or alongside each other. Who knows what the outcome will be who will benefit?  
I do want to acknowledge and truly pay tribute to the integrity of the iwi involved who have persevered with a less than perfect process determined always to work out a solution that will work for Tauranga Moana. You particularly NgatiPukenga Ngai Te Rangi Ngati Ranginui and Waitaha in your negotiations with the Tauranga City Council. You have recognised all along that what the Crown has agreed to undermines your role as guardians for Mauao. Your views summed up in a letter to the Minister in August last year are commendable: “The process thus far has been seriously flawed and our people have been alienated because the mana of our iwi has not been respected. Even so NgatiPukenga has risen above those difficulties as a sign of goodwill and in an effort to be part of a solution that will work well for Tauranga Moana.” 
I say again that ownership of Mauao is at the core of this address. The New Zealand Maori Council urges that the sacred mountain of Tauranga Harbour be returned unconditionally. 
The Mauao Trust itself represented by KihiNgatai put the case in a most forceful simplicity. The standing and life force of Mauao were never ceded by iwi to the Crown and accordingly the Crown should return the management to iwi so that the dreams of elders could be realised. But the Crown remained deaf.  
The Commission for Social Justice of the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton urged that ownership of Mauao be returned to the guardians of Tauranga Harbour. So the three organisations one pan-tribal another a trust one and the third religious all have the best interests of the community at heart. 
So in ending this address I want to assure the House that the Maori Party supports this bill because the three iwi groups agree to it. The final word is with them. All we the Maori Party can do is to support it and support it but there will come a time perhaps when they will send us the next generation to fulfil the dream of ownership of Mauao returning to you 
. [Closing incantation] 
 Thank you to us all. 
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