Horomia Parekura: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Horomia Parekura: Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:619;Page:15169] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 E tika ake ano i runga i te tu nei ki te mihi ake ano ki a ratou o Ngati Awa e tae ake ano i konei.Nga mea pakeke pera i a koutou e Hirini e Joe nga kuia nga koroua meratau kare i konei kare e tae. Kua haere ake ano ki tera wahi e mohio ake ano tatau kei te mau mahara ake ano nga tupuna.Tena tatau. 
[ 
It is apt that I acknowledge Ngati Awa who have arrived here as I rise.To you the elders Hirini Joe grandmothers grandfathers as well as those who are not present who have passed on and remain in our memories greetings to us all 
.]  
I rise to greet those people of Ngati Awa who have arrived here today and I certainly pay due respect to those people who have passed on in this long journey. It is indeed an honour and a privilege to support this bill.  
I stand here today to support the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill. This is an important day for Ngati Awa and I commend them for their vision and fortitude in getting this far. Along with my colleague Steve Maharey I recognise all those people involved in this lengthy journey especially at this stage the Office of Treaty Settlements; the Minister Margaret Wilson; and my colleague the Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Mita Ririnui. This party is serious about finalising the settlements and getting on with business. 
The deed settles all the historical claims of Ngati Awa. It sets out an agreed historical background acknowledged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Crown apology for those breaches. The historical claims of Ngati Awa mainly relate to the confiscation of land the compensation process and the operation and impact of the native land laws. In the settlement the Crown has acknowledged that the confiscation of the Ngati Awa lands constituted an injustice and was therefore a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles. The settlement also includes financial and commercial redress with a total value of $42390000 including portions of the Rotoehu and Kaingaroa Forests. It will enable Ngati Awa to exercise kaitiakitanga and commercial management opportunities over some of their key places and resources. The settlement redress provides recognition of Ngati Awa’s traditional historical cultural and spiritual association with places and sites. 
Statutory acknowledgments that register the special association Ngati Awa has with an area include acknowledgments over part of the Whakatane Rangitaiki and Tarawera Rivers Moutohora Island Wildlife Management Reserve and part of the Ohiwa Harbour. Deeds of recognition require the Crown to consult Ngati Awa and have regard for their views about Ngati Awa’s special association with a particular site. The bill provides for four deeds of recognition covering the Crown-owned parts of the Whakatane Rangitaiki and Tarawera riverbeds and Uretara Island. Clauses 21 to 26 of the bill provide for the issues of protocols by the Minister of Conservation the Minister of Fisheries and the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage. The bill sets out that the Crown must comply with the protocols agreed between Ngati Awa and the departments while they are in force. As well the bill provides for noting of the Department of Conservation’s protocol in the conservation documents that affect Department of Conservation protocol areas. There are official place name changes in this category. The bill changes the name Volkner Rocks to Te Paepae o Aotea; Awateatua Beach to Te Awa a Te Atua Beach; and Braemar Springs to Te Waiu o Pukemarie. 
Areas of special significance to Ngati Awa are to be returned to iwi. The bill provides for seven important reserves to be vested in the Ngati Awa governance entity: Kaputerangi Historic Reserve; Te Paripari Pa Historic Reserve; Otitapu Pa within the Mangaone Scenic Reserve; the former Matahina A4 block; Te Toangapoto within the Western Whakatane Recreation Reserve; Te Ihukatia part of the Port Ohope Recreation Reserve; and Whakapaukorero within Matata Scenic Reserve. The Crown will gift Ngati Awa $1 million to assist in the redevelopment of the Mataatua meeting house complex. 
As my learned colleague Gerry Brownlee said earlier on we are all keen to get this finished. I remind that member that we did get it finished rather than getting mixed up in his garble about whether they are being serious about handing Ngati Awa a path towards a future that does recognise nationhood. Restoration of access to traditional tools and food gathering areas includes Ngati Awa’s customary fisheries. Camping licenses or nohoanga will be established and located in the Matata Wildlife Reserve and the Port Ohope Recreation Reserve for example. This settlement is a great settlement. The deputy leader of the National Party whom I have not seen for a couple of weeks has returned to preach and to try to teach us about nationhood. It is important for any unified way forwardthat we do not scratch the racist itch—that we end and finish off and make sure— 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Let the guy who did the work speak! 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: —that people like Mr Ryall especially recognise the Maori people the tangata whenua in their areas. He should cough up and ensure that things are done. This is only the beginning. It has been a long journey and the fact that we are arriving at the end is through the efforts of this Government in making sure that finality has come about. People who continue to preach one nation but say we should all live like other people really alarm me. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: We have always recognised people’s needs. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA 
: I am really open to living as one people. There are different churches such as the Catholic Church the Baptists the Mormons and—dare I mention it—Destiny Church. Let us be all of that but let us make sure—[ 
Interruption 
] That is right. We are all New Zealanders so let us start being proactive whether we are Irish New Zealanders Scottish Maori Welsh Maori Whakatane Maori and all of that. We treat them all the same when it suits. We look to members’ support all the way through in order to finish this quickly because we are right here now and the proof will be in the pudding. I say to members that I thank them very much for their support—I thank the whole House. This is serious business. It is about nationhood but it is also about the place of tangata whenua. In the sense of signing this off we have done that.