Cullen Michael: Central North Island Forests Land Collective  Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Cullen Michael: Central North Island Forests Land Collective  Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:650;Page:18938] 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 I move  
That the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill be now read a second time 
. The Maori Affairs Committee has considered the bill and submitted its report to the House and I thank the committee for its speedy consideration of this extremely important settlement bill. Both the report of the committee and the submissions expressed the widespread and strong support that exists for the bill and the settlement it embodies. Indeed 133 out of 167 of the submissions were in support of this bill and the strong voice of support echoes the support that was shown so strongly for the settlement throughout its endorsement process. It also acknowledges a very real and wide-reaching potential this settlement has to better not only the more than 100000 people who constitute the collective iwi but also the central North Island and indeed the nation as a whole. 
This settlement represents a significant step in healing the wounds of longstanding grievances of the collective iwi as was evidenced in the Waitangi Tribunal hearings and findings of discussions the Crown has had with iwi to date. The transfer of 176000 hectares of Crown forest land valued at over $200 million to the trust holding company will have widespread economic benefit for the collective iwi and more widely for the people of New Zealand. This will in turn empower each of the collective iwi to forge a new path ahead providing opportunities for economic cultural and social growth. 
We should reflect I think on three important aspects of the settlement that the submissions to the bill raised. The first aspect is the mandate of the Central North Island Iwi Collective to agree to the settlement of the claims included in the bill. The tribunal the Maori Affairs Committee and I have considered the specific mandate issues and we are comfortable that the collective and constituent iwi representatives do indeed have the support of their people for entering into this settlement. The collective iwi provided evidence of broad support for their settlement process. The iwi held some 66 information or endorsement hui with each iwi in the collective determining its own endorsement process. Some used postal votes; others used hui votes. 
The results from this endorsement process showed that the collective iwi overwhelmingly endorsed the settlement except Ngati Rangitihi. Ngati Rangitihi did not endorse the settlement and are consequently not included in the bill. But in recognition of the iwi leadership’s contribution to the collective’s proposal the Crown and the collective are holding open a window for Ngati Rangitihi to agree to this settlement by 25 December this year should they choose to do so. I very much hope they will. The various Ngati Rangitihi groups are working hard to find a way through their differences and Te Runanga o Ngati Rangitihi is coordinating a further endorsement process that will culminate in a postal ballot to close on 10 October. Whether to endorse the settlement of course is a matter for Ngati Rangitihi to make a decision on and we will respectfully accept any decision the iwi makes. If they decide not to endorse the collective settlement they will still be able to claim against the Crown’s proportion of the central North Island forest lands that remain. The Government intends to introduce a Supplementary Order Paper to provide a mechanism for adding Ngati Rangitihi to the settlement should they demonstrate broad support for doing this. 
Key aspect No. 2 is the allocation model for the distribution of the commercial benefits of the settlement and the proposed tikanga-based mana whenua resolution process. The settlement has created an allocation mechanism unique to the Treaty claims settlement process. Although the Crown assessed the outcome of the commercial benefit allocation for fairness and relativity the percentages themselves were agreed amongst the collective iwi. The separation of the commercial benefits—the accumulated rentals—from the ownership of land itself was an innovation developed by the collective. As set out in the bill mana whenua will be the basis upon which the land itself is allocated. This land allocation process will be iwi led and it recognises the fluid overlapping and complex layering of interests over the Kaingaroa and wider central North Island forest lands. 
The collective iwi made compromises amongst themselves to make this settlement happen. In doing so they enabled more forest land and rentals to pass to iwi than would have been possible under the direct bilateral negotiations between individual iwi and the Crown because the Crown would always have to be keeping back sufficient for any other iwi that might be coming along. This coupled with the iwi-led development of the settlement proposal the mana whenua process will enhance the durability of the settlement. 
The third key issue is the preservation of existing public access to the central North Island forest lands—a matter close to the Prime Minister’s heart. The Crown and the Central North Island Iwi Collective have also been mindful of preserving this existing public access and the collective has generously agreed to preserve existing rights of public access to the central North Island forest lands. I need to note here that the existing 1989 Crown Forest Assets Act provides for all such access rights to cease upon the land transferring into Maori ownership so it was an important part of the settlement that this deed of settlement and the legislation remove that removal of those access rights and therefore preserve the rights of the general public in the future in that regard. So the settlement bill preserves the existing public access. When these lands cease to be licensed clause 11 enables new public access easements to be created that mirror the existing public access provided in the current licences. 
There will be a Supplementary Order Paper as I have said to provide for the possibility of having Ngati Rangitihi join this settlement if they choose to do so. For example that will correct the percentages set out in schedule 3 to match those contained in the deed of settlement as well. 
On an occasion such as this it is appropriate once again to express my deep appreciation for all those who have been involved in getting us to this point today—my colleague the Hon Mark Burton under whom this process began but particularly the ongoing leadership of Dr Tumu te Heuheu Te Ariki o Ngati Tuwharetoa. Without Dr te Heuheu’s leadership this settlement would not have been possible at all. It was a risky venture in fact to try to lead a group of very disparate iwi with some very differing histories and indeed some histories of long antagonisms between some of the iwi involved in this settlement to bring them together into a single collective process. 
I also want to thank Wira Gardiner who provided inestimable support to me as the Crown facilitator in this settlement and to place on record once again my gratitude to my wife for defeating Wira in the 1987 East Cape election thereby ensuring that Wira was available for other and higher duties in the service of Governments of different hues both now and I am sure into the future. Without the contribution of people such as Tumu and Wira this kind of historic settlement this kind of journey that we are entering upon now would not be possible. 
I look forward to the Committee stage and the third reading and I thank all colleagues in the House who have been so generous in facilitating this bill reaching this point at this stage. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: Send him up north. 
Hon Georgina te Heuheu 
: Send them both up north. 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: We will have news for the members on up north fairly soon I am quite hopeful.