Goldsmith PaulTE KOROWAI O WAINUIĀRUA CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I present a legislative statement on the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill.SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website—kua tāngia taua tauāki ā-ture i raro i te mana o te Whare ā ka kitea ki te pae tukutuku a te Pāremata.Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: I move That the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill.Tākiri mai ana te ata ki runga o ngākau mārohirohi. Kōrihi ana te manu kaupapa. Ka ao ka ao ka awatea. Tīhei mauri ora. E mihi ana ki a koutou kua tae mai nei e te hunga karanga o te kaupapa o te wā. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.E mihi ana ki te hunga mate. Haere haere haere atu rā. Ki a tātou te hunga ora tēnā tātou.E mihi ana ki a koutou kua tae mai nei i runga i te karanga o te kaupapa o te rā. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēna koutou katoa. E mihi ana ki te hunga mate. Haere haere haere atu rā. Ki a tātou te hunga ora tēnā tātou. Kia whakamānawatia te mana o ēnei whenua ko Te Ātiawa ko Toa Rangatira tēnā koutou katoa. Tēnei mātou te Kāwanatanga e mihi nei ki te kaupapa o te wā e Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Uenuku Tamakana Tamahaki tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.[The dawn rises on a stout heart. The morning bird sings. It is day. The breath of life expelled. I greet you all who have arrived those of you who have come for the purpose of the day. Thank you. I acknowledge those who have passed on. Farewell. And to those of us in the world of the living I acknowledge us.I greet you all who have arrived those of you who have come for the purpose of the day. Thanks and greetings to all of you. I acknowledge those who have passed on. Farewell.And to those of us in the world of the living I acknowledge us. I acknowledge the authorities of these lands Te Ātiawa Toa Rangatira greetings to all of you. We the Government acknowledge the purpose of this time. Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Uenuku Tamakana Tamahaki thanks and greetings to all of you.] In July last year at Raetihi Marae Te Korowai o Wainuiārua representing the interests of Uenuku Tamakana and Tamahaki signed a deed of settlement with the Crown. Today there are members of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua watching from the public gallery who have travelled to Wellington for the occasion of the first reading. There are many more members of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua who are watching this first reading online from their rohe and around the motu. I extend a warm welcome to you all and thank you for being here with us both in person and online to witness the first reading of your bill. The first reading represents a valuable opportunity to reflect on the relationship between Te Korowai o Wainuiārua and the Crown.In May 1840 15 rangatira signed the Raukawa Moana Treaty sheet at Whanganui including Te Peehi Tūroa and his son Te Peehi Pākoro Tūroa. They expected a relationship with the Crown that was based on fairness justice and honour and that their tino rangatiratanga over their lands and taonga would be protected. Instead the Crown did not uphold the promises it made and Te Korowai o Wainuiārua have paid the price for our nation's development. Large tracts of their land were purchased or taken for public works including for the North Island main trunk railway line to create scenic reserves for defence purposes for electricity generation and for two of New Zealand's national parks. By the 20th century the iwi of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua were virtually landless yet they have worked tirelessly with strength and perseverance to retain their language their tikanga and their identity.In 2015 the Crown recognised the mandate of Uenuku Charitable Trust to represent the people of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua to negotiate a comprehensive historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement. An agreement in principle was signed in 2018. On 29 July 2023 the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua deed of settlement Te Tihi o te Rae was signed at Raetihi Marae following a ratification process by the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua claimant community. I thank the people of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua for their perseverance and patience during this journey to achieve this signing.We remember and pay tribute to Te Korowai o Wainuiārua tīpuna who have suffered grievances and we acknowledge the leaders and loved ones of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua who have passed away over the course of the settlement; it's been a long journey since the first Wai claims were submitted in relation to this claim in the 1980s and they have waited a long time to be heard.I acknowledge and thank the negotiators the Chair of Uenuku Charitable Trust Aiden Gilbert; the lead negotiator Chris McKenzie; and negotiators Paora Haitana and Steve Hirini. I also wish to recognise the work of their legal counsel Deborah Edmunds. I acknowledge the people of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua of Uenuku Tamakana and Tamahaki and I acknowledge their patience throughout the settlement's negotiations which were long and sometimes difficult.On the Crown's side I want to acknowledge my predecessors the Hon Andrew Little and the Hon Christopher Finlayson. I'd also like to thank our chief Crown negotiator Katherine Gordon for her hands-on leadership throughout these negotiations. I also want to thank the former chief Crown negotiator Rosemary Banks for her work on the early part of the negotiations. I also have a significant number of ministries and agencies who have been involved in the settlement and I would like to thank you all for your support.The Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill seeks to give effect to the settlement package as outlined in the legislative statement. The settlement includes financial and commercial redress valued at $21.7 million and cultural redress funding of $6.85 million; the return of sites of cultural significance including three sites that will be jointly vested in Te Korowai o Wainuiārua and neighbouring iwi; 12 commercial properties including Crown Forestry land at Erua and the former prison site at Waikune; recognition of the vision of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua to establish an eco-sanctuary at Pokaka to reinvigorate native flora and fauna including an overlay classification and conservation management redress; the right to nominate a member of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua to the Tongariro Taupō Conservation Board and the establishment of a strategic advisory committee to ensure that they have governance-level engagement on conservation issues; relationship redress with a range of Crown agencies including the National Emergency Management Agency—a first in Treaty settlements. This will give both parties an opportunity to work together to coordinate local responses to emergencies in both Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks.The deed of settlement also recognises the importance to Uenuku Tamakana and Tamahaki of the Tongariro National Park and Whanganui National Park including the maunga Ruapehu Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe. The deed records the Crown's commitment to negotiate collective redress over the national parks in good faith.Today is about looking forward while acknowledging the past and the long and difficult journey it has taken to get here. The redress contained in this bill provides a foundation that will benefit the people of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua for generations to come. It will support them in their future endeavours and in realising their aspirations for their iwi. Te Korowai o Wainuiārua this is the first reading of three and I look forward to hosting you again here to support the passage of your legislation through the House.I consider that the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee; I commend this bill to the House. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.