Williamson Maurice: Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Williamson Maurice: Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 19 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5490. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon MAURICE WILLIAMSON (Minister for Building and Construction) 
: 
 Ka tangi te titi ka tangi te kaka ka tangi hoki ahau; tihe-i mauri-ora. Te Whare e tu nei tena koe. E te iwi e tu nei tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa Ngati Whatua o Orakei. 
[ 
The sooty shearwater call the native parrot call and I call as well; behold the sneeze of life. The House that stands before me greetings to you. The people who stand before me greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to you all Ngati Whatua o Orakei. 
] 
The Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill is a step further in a long process for Ngati Whatua o Orakei to see their proper position in Tamaki receive tangible recognition. This bill allows Ngati Whatua o Orakei people to have a turangawaewae that will remain in the people for eternity. The journey to the conclusion of this settlement has been long and arduous dating back as far as 1846. Many current Ngati Whatua o Orakei people and MPs here today will remember the Bastion Point occupation which started in January 1977 but is now more than 35 years ago. Even recent negotiations have taken 13 years to complete. I acknowledge Ruby Hinemoa Gray who was the chairperson of the Ngati Whatua o Orakei Maori Trust Board in 1993 her incredibly wonderful successor Sir Hugh Kawharu and his nephew Cyril Talbot all of whom have passed away while these negotiations have continued. 
Ngati Whatua o Orakei have always worked hard to build and strengthen their relationship with the Crown beginning in 1840 when they welcomed Governor Hobson to Tamaki-makau-rau and made land available for the new capital of Auckland—oh how a number of us wish it was still there. Today we see Ngati Whatua o Orakei again working hard to build and preserve their relationship with the Crown. They have accepted this settlement in good faith and have recognised that full restitution for all their losses is simply not possible. The Ngati Whatua o Orakei settlement has been delayed while overlapping claims were addressed across Tamaki-makau-rau and I wish to acknowledge the patience of the people of Ngati Whatua o Orakei during this time. 
As with Ngati Manuhiri the second reading of the Ngati Whatua o Orakei bill is a significant milestone. It was heartening to read the number of submissions in support of the Ngati Whatua Orakei Claims Settlement Bill and I am really delighted to have done so. The bill was referred to the Maori Affairs Committee on 8 March 2012 and the committee reported it back to the House on 25 July this year. The committee has examined the bill and unanimously supports it. The committee has proposed no major amendments. It recommended it be passed with three technical amendments only. 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chair and the members of the Maori Affairs Committee for their excellent work on this bill and for considering it in such a prompt manner. The committee received and considered 99 written submissions on the bill and heard 23 oral submissions at the Orakei Marae on 23 April. 
Nearly all submissions related to the 3.2 hectares of land at Narrow Neck on the North Shore. Many people supported the bill and this settlement but they opposed the inclusion of the land at Narrow Neck. So let me say again that this land is an integral part of this settlement with Ngati Whatua o Orakei. It is not open space and it is currently used by the Defence Force for operational purposes. It is Crown land and will be leased back to the navy for a minimum period of 15 years with an option to extend for up to 150 years. There is very little suitable Crown land in the Tamaki region for settlement and there are 12 other claimant groups negotiating with the Crown in this area. The site has been available for public use only with permission from the Defence Force and will continue to be available for public use under those same exact conditions. I encourage members of the Devonport community who have reservations about the settlement to work towards a positive relationship with Ngati Whatua o Orakei. 
I acknowledge the Ngati Whatua o Orakei people who suffered the many grievances as a result of Crown breaches of the Treaty and I have waited a long time to see those grievances settled. As a member for Auckland I have followed this closely. The second reading is one more step in the settlement process to provide redress for historical breaches and for breaches of the Treaty and we can celebrate it as another milestone achieved for the Crown and the people of Ngati Whatua o Orakei.