Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:648;Page:16821] 
11.  
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
 to the  
Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations 
: What is the reason that an airspace protection provision for Ngati Uenukukopako is not being considered within the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 The Crown received a request for airspace protection above Ruamata Marae on 3 June 2008 clearly too late to be included in the deed of settlement. In any case such matters do not normally fall within the ambit of historical Treaty settlements. However I have asked the Minister of Transport to contact the representatives of Ruamata Marae regarding this issue which is better dealt with as a relationship issue not as a Treaty claim issue. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: What assurance can the Minister give to Ngati Uenukukopako that their Treaty rights will not be breached in the future requiring the people of Ruamata Marae to move their ancestral meeting house again as they did in the 1960s as a result of the threat created by the use of aircraft in the airspace immediately above their marae and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata which adjoins the marae? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: These are matters for civil aviation authorities and obviously also involve Rotorua District Council as the potential promoter of changes at Rotorua airport. I would not regard this as being a historical claim issue at this point but certainly as one that is best dealt with by discussions between the relevant parties. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: What response did he make to Blanche Hohepa-Kiriona of Ngati Uenukukopako who has described the forced relocation of their marae in the 1960s the impact of their land being taken for the airport and the adverse impact of aircraft operations on the marae and the people at one of the “telling our stories” hui which gave affiliate iwi of Te Pumautanga an opportunity to express various Treaty grievances; and what criteria are used to describe what is an accepted Treaty grievance and what is not? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: It obviously varies very much from case to case. In terms of matters that happened in the 1960s then in so far as they were part of any Treaty claim any legislation that settles those Treaty claims settles that particular matter. What the member is referring to at the moment is proposed plans as I understand in relation to changes at Rotorua airport in terms particularly of international flights and how those might affect the marae itself. That is best dealt with as I say by negotiations between the parties currently involved rather than trying to insert that matter into a historical Treaty claim bill because this is yet to happen in the case of what is now being proposed. 
Louisa Wall 
: Kia ora Madam Speaker tena koutou katoa. How does the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu settlement relate to the Central North Island Iwi Collective Crown forest land settlement? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The Central North Island Iwi Collective Crown forest deed of settlement will supersede the licensed Crown forest land redress negotiated in the 2006 affiliate Te Arawa deed. In the 2008 deed the Crown has recognised the financial contribution that Te Pumautanga has made to enable the transfer of the central North Island licensed Crown forest lands to the Central North Island Iwi Collective. I would like to pay tribute to the patience and flexibility and determination of the leadership of Te Pumautanga in agreeing to these changes. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Further to the discussion the Minister has offered are any courses of action available to Ngati Uenukukopako to achieve a settlement on their airspace protection claims that they have not as yet already followed? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I am not sufficiently well briefed on that matter. As I have said I have asked the Minister of Transport to talk to the relevant transport authorities and people who actually have control over airspace issues. Obviously we will want to follow up that further and as a Minister with an interest in these matters I will want to be kept informed around that and will appreciate further briefings from the member in that regard.