Robertson Grant: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee 
Robertson Grant: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:655;Page:5058] 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
: 
 I will take a brief call on Part 2 and in particular— 
Paul Quinn 
: Not to get back at me? 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: —no no I am over that; the member would be surprised—to talk about Pipitea Marae. I know that earlier on in the debate the Minister who was in the chair at the time the Hon Georgina Te Heuheu mentioned this but I want to come back to it particularly because it is something that the Maori Affairs Committee obviously did some work on. The Minister made the point that Pipitea Marae has a special place in the hearts of many Wellingtonians. It is the place where many of us when we first came to Wellington had our first interaction with local iwi and the tangata whenua of the area. Obviously it has a much greater meaning for the Taranaki Whanui; it is the site of waka landings and the place to which many people from Taranaki came down and felt a strong spiritual connection. So it is important that the management and ongoing administration of Pipitea Marae have been dealt with by the select committee. 
I will recap on that: the marae is currently leased from the Maori Trustee by the Ngati Poneke Maori Association. Again many people in Wellington would be very familiar with the activities of Ngati Poneke over a long period of time in the cultural life of Wellington and of all Maori in this area. The Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust and the Ngati Poneke Maori Association will now form a new joint legal entity the Pipitea Marae Charitable Trust and that trust will comprise equal representation of both parties. After the settlement date once we have gone through that process the land and its improvements will be vested in the new entity. I think that that is a fantastic outcome for both Taranaki Whanui and the people of Wellington. The marae will continue to play an important part in the cultural life of the wider city but we will also be recognising the connection of Taranaki Whanui to that. For me an important part of cultural redress is that in the marae we have a facility that is used by a wide range of Wellingtonians but at the same time we are able to recognise the connection that Taranaki Whanui have to that place and I think that that is a really important part of this settlement. 
New section 45A has been inserted by the Maori Affairs Committee. It goes through quite a long process about how the trust will be established and how the marae will be vested in it. It also protects Ngati Poneke’s ability to continue to use the marae and have it as their base as well as for it to be an ongoing place for the Taranaki Whanui and the people of Wellington. I think that that is an excellent outcome in Part 2 of this bill which has been inserted by the select committee. It is another example of the fine collaborative and collegial activity of the committee. No doubt Paul Quinn put in his effort in his diplomatic way to ensure that that went through continually looking to bring people together rather than drive them apart. He is a fine example to all of us. 
Hon Member 
: Quietly spoken! 
GRANT ROBERTSON 
: That is right; he has been very quietly easing his way through the process. 
The other matter I mention in this call is the question of Wellington Harbour’s island reserves and my colleague Kelvin Davis was just talking about the role that the Department of Conservation will play. This is another example of why I think this settlement will be enduring because once again we have been able to ensure that parts of Wellington that Wellingtonians regard very dearly such as Matiu-Somes Island and the other islands in Wellington Harbour equally have a far longer connection for Taranaki Whanui. Once again we have been able to establish in this bill a process for the ongoing management of those islands and the reserves around those islands that respects the role of Taranaki Whanui but includes a wider management role for the Department of Conservation. I think that that is an excellent outcome. It includes the creation of the Harbour Islands Kaitiaki Board. That board will have an important role in making sure that the views of Taranaki Whanui are taken into account in ongoing administration and management and the Minister has obligations put down in legislation that will mean the Harbour Islands Kaitiaki Board will be consulted. That is an important part of this bill and again it is an example of how cultural redress will ensure that we have a long-term and enduring solution for the settlement and that the settlement will be well-regarded. 
I fully endorse Part 2 of this bill; it does a lot to start addressing grievances. Cultural redress is as important as financial redress.