Burton Mark: Te Roroa Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Burton Mark: Te Roroa Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:637;Page:7838] 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 I move  
That the Te Roroa Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the Te Roroa Claims Settlement Bill be considered by the Maori Affairs Committee that the committee report finally to the House on or before 1 June 2007 and that the committee have the authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting except during oral questions during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House despite Standing Orders 192 and 195(1)(b) and (c). 
The grievances of Te Roroa are significant and longstanding. This bill recognises and addresses those grievances. This bill settles all of Te Roroa’s historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. 
Te Roroa is a group of approximately 3000 members based in Auckland. Their area of interest runs from south of Dargaville to the Hokianga and centres on the Waipoua Forest the home of the giant kauri taonga Tane Mahuta. It is an area rich in history and resources. I want to pause to acknowledge and welcome to this House the representatives of Te Roroa who have made the long journey here this afternoon to join us for the first reading of the bill. 
The historical claims relate to breaches by the Crown of its obligations under the Treaty. These include the cession of land at Te Kopuru in 1842 Crown land purchases from 1876 and the operation and impacts of the native land laws. These breaches have resulted in Te Roroa being left virtually landless. Te Roroa’s claims also relate to the separation of Te Roroa from their wahi tapu and taonga. The claim has often been referred to as a wahi tapu claim reflecting the number of significant cultural and archaeological sites across their rohe. The Crown acknowledges in this settlement that the separation of Te Roroa from their wahi tapu and taonga has been a source of great spiritual and emotional pain. 
Te Roroa have travelled a long road to have their claims addressed by the Crown. They have sought redress on a wide range of issues since 1861. The Crown has failed to deal appropriately with the grievances of Te Roroa before this settlement. Te Roroa and the Crown began Treaty settlement negotiations back in 1992 the year the Waitangi Tribunal released its report into their claims. The year 1992 was of course—as you know yourself Madam Speaker—a significant year in Treaty settlements generally. It was the year of the fisheries claims settlement and it is the point in time we use to distinguish between historical and contemporary Treaty claims. 
In 1993 Te Roroa and the Crown entered into a framework agreement governing the conduct of negotiations. Three years later in 1996 the Crown formally recognised the mandate of Te Roroa negotiators and the parties signed terms of negotiation specifying the objects and general procedures for the negotiations. In December 2004 the Crown and Te Roroa signed an agreement in principle and in December 2005 we signed a deed of settlement after an overwhelming majority of voters showed their support by postal vote. 
At the same time a representative transparent and accountable Government entity—the Te Roroa Manu Whenua Trust—was ratified. Te Roroa Manu Whenua Trust will receive and manage the majority of the settlement assets. Te Roroa have also established a second trust—Te Roroa Whatu Ora Trust—which has a commercial focus and will receive and administer the commercial redress properties. 
Te Roroa were there at the start of the Treaty settlement process and have experienced its development firsthand. They have known many administrations and faced many challenges along the way. The introduction of this bill signals the final stage of the long journey for Te Roroa to have their grievances properly resolved. Settling this claim is also an important further step in this country’s progress towards settling all historical Treaty claims. 
The bill gives effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the deed of settlement. That includes the offering of a Crown apology for its breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and principles; financial and commercial redress totalling $9.5 million and cultural redress including the vesting of 24 sites of cultural and spiritual significance to Te Roroa; the declaration of an overlay classification over an area of the Waipoua Forest; statutory acknowledgments of the special association of Te Roroa with two statutory areas; entry by the Crown and Te Roroa into deeds of recognition relating to two sites; protocols issued by four Ministers of the Crown; various items of fisheries redress; and six place name changes. 
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the Te Roroa people who suffered the breaches of the Treaty and who for so long carried the grievances. I particularly acknowledge those who are no longer with us those Te Roroa kuia and kaumatua who tirelessly sought justice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and Ned Nathan and Emily Paniora who took the Te Roroa claims to the Waitangi Tribunal. I also acknowledge the Te Roroa Iwi Authority and its successor the Te Roroa Manu Whenua Trust including the members of the negotiating team. Their dedication commitment and tenacity on behalf of Te Roroa have been vital in the long and difficult path towards achieving this settlement. 
I also thank the other Ministers and departments involved in this process. A wide variety of people from across the political spectrum have made important contributions to this settlement over the years. I may be wrong but it is perhaps the first settlement that has involved every Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. 
As New Zealanders I believe we can all be proud that real and significant grievances suffered by Maori are recognised and settled peacefully and within the law. The public can be reassured that the Crown is certain of the validity of the claims that will be settled by this bill and that the settlement has been negotiated with the interests of all citizens in mind. It is not possible to compensate Te Roroa fully for all the prejudice and loss its people have suffered. Although this bill enables the transfer of several sites to Te Roroa the Crown is fully aware that all the traditional lands of importance are not being transferred. It is the case that the people of Northland and of New Zealand generally have benefited from this land and other resources alienated from Te Roroa. 
I acknowledge on the record of this House Te Roroa’s courage their foresight and—perhaps most of all—their generosity in reaching this settlement looking to their future and helping the future of our country. There could be no settlements and therefore no resolution of historical grievances without such resolute and courageous leadership. 
The goal of this Government is to reach settlements that resolve grievances of the past. This settlement with Te Roroa lays the foundation for a strong and positive relationship between Te Roroa and the Crown into the future. The bill makes it clear that this is a final settlement of all the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Te Roroa. The settlement has had a very high level of support from the claimant community. Ninety-two percent of those who validly participated voted in support of the Crown’s settlement offer. 
The people of Te Roroa have been waiting a very long time to have their grievances against the Crown addressed. They have worked hard and sacrificed much to realise this settlement. For these reasons I consider that the bill should therefore proceed without delay to the Maori Affairs Committee and be reported back on or before 1 June 2007. This will allow the timely transfer of settlement redress to Te Roroa. I commend the bill to the House.