Little AndrewNGĀTI HINERANGI CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I move That the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the Ngāti Hinerangi Claims Settlement Bill.Te Whare e tū nei te marae e takoto nei tēnā koutou tēnā kōrua. E ngā mate te wā haere atu rā. Ki a tātou te hunga ora tēnā koutou. Ki a koutou hoki Ngāti Hinerangi nau mai haere mai whakatau mai. Nā koutou tēnei rangi nā reira rau rangatira mā tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.[The House that stands before me the marae that lies before me greetings to you all greetings to you both. To those who have passed on recently go safely. To us the living greetings to us all. To you also Ngāti Hinerangi welcome welcome be welcome. This is your day so to the distinguished masses greetings greetings greetings one and all.]We are joined in the House today by Ngāti Hinerangi and I extend the warmest of welcomes to you all and thank you for making this journey to this House to this place to witness the first reading of your bill. That you are present today to witness such a momentous occasion reinforces the importance of your settlement to both Ngāti Hinerangi and also to the Crown.In May this year I was welcomed on to Te Ōhākī Marae in the heart of the rohe of Ngāti Hinerangi to sign the Ngāti Hinerangi deed of settlement. Some four months on from the signing ceremony I'm very pleased to speak in support of this bill which like many others has been many years in the making. It has been nearly four years since the agreement in principle was signed and so it is an auspicious occasion that we celebrate today.To those of you who have worked so hard to make today possible I offer you my most sincere thanks. The late Matuakore Mac" Koperu MacMillan and Annie Uruwharangi Marsh along with other Ngāti Hinerangi kaumātua and kuia started this journey many years ago. They have all played a part in strengthening the history of Ngāti Hinerangi and they are in our thoughts today. Moe mai rā.I'd also like to acknowledge the various members of the Ngāti Hinerangi negotiation team—negotiators trustees and others—for their commitment to their people. The negotiations have been long and I acknowledge the hard work tenacity and perseverance of all involved to achieve an enduring settlement for Ngāti Hinerangi.I want to make special mention of Ngāti Hinerangi's overlapping interest process. Ngāti Hinerangi engaged in a process that demonstrated in my view great leadership and pragmatism. That approach should provide for long-lasting relationships with Ngāti Hinerangi's neighbouring iwi as Ngāti Hinerangi progress to a post-settlement environment. I'd also like to thank the many people who have worked and contributed to this settlement: the former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations the Hon Chris Finlayson; the Crown team including officials from Te Arawhiti; the Department of Conservation; and other supporting Crown agencies.In February 2014 the Crown recognised the mandate of the Ngāti Hinerangi Trust to represent Ngāti Hinerangi in negotiating a comprehensive historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement. The trust and the Crown signed terms of negotiation in February 2014. The Crown and Ngāti Hinerangi signed an agreement in principle in December 2015 and the deed of settlement was initialled in December 2018. Following ratification of the deed of settlement by the Ngāti Hinerangi claimant community the Ngāti Hinerangi deed of settlement was signed on 4 May this year at Te Ōhākī Marae.I'd like to reflect on some of the interactions with the Crown following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi by representatives of Ngāti Hinerangi in Tauranga in 1840. In the early 1860s Ngāti Hinerangi became adherents of Kīngitanga. Ngāti Hinerangi joined forced to fight against the Crown in both the Taranaki and Waikato wars. Ngāti Hinerangi were also among the forces that fought against the Crown at Gate Pā. Crown acts of purchasing land such as in the Te Puna-Katikati block an area in which Ngāti Hinerangi had interests were not investigated properly and Ngāti Hinerangi received no benefits from this sale and were not able to retain parts of this land. Further and sustained acts by the Crown continued to alienate Ngāti Hinerangi land both within the Tauranga Moana and Waikato areas of Ngāti Hinerangi's tribal rohe including significant land loss within Matamata itself. This land loss was the major factor that resulted in the cultural and economic marginalisation of Ngāti Hinerangi.As a result of the Crown's acts and omissions Ngāti Hinerangi became virtually landless lost their autonomy and connection with their environment and suffered from severe social and economic deprivation. Through this settlement the Crown seeks to atone for its past injustices that it has inflicted upon Ngāti Hinerangi and to provide more opportunities for Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown to move forward.The settlement package contains an agreed historical account Crown acknowledgments and apology cultural redress and commercial redress. The cultural redress recognises the traditional historical cultural and spiritual association of Ngāti Hinerangi within their core rohe and areas further afield with which Ngāti Hinerangi have associations. The settlement package includes the vesting of 14 sites of significance including the Wairere Falls property Te Tuhi East Te Tuhi West and the Ōkauia property to allow Ngāti Hinerangi to re-establish the connections with the various parts of the Ngāti Hinerangi rohe and strengthen the identity of Ngāti Hinerangi.The cultural redress acknowledges the connection of Ngāti Hinerangi with their rohe through the overlay classification deeds of recognition and statutory acknowledgment. These instruments will enhance the ability of Ngāti Hinerangi to participate in specified Resource Management Act processes and require the Crown to consult with Ngāti Hinerangi and have regard to their views regarding the special associations within certain areas. The cultural redress package also provides for relationship instruments with key Crown agencies a co-governance arrangement over the Waihou Piako catchments and a payment of $200000 for the cultural revitalisation of the Ngāti Hinerangi people and $20000 for a marae-rebuild fund.The commercial redress package includes financial redress of $8.1 million; the transfer of five Crown-owned properties to Ngāti Hinerangi including the sale and leaseback of Manawaru School—that's land only—and the Matamata police station—again land only—and a right of first refusal over 51 other Crown properties and the transfer of part of Waihou forest. The redress provided in the settlement went through significant changes during negotiations and in response to overlapping interests. I believe it will go a long way towards Ngāti Hinerangi re-establishing a connection with various parts of their rohe strengthening the identity of Ngāti Hinerangi and providing the foundation for a stronger social cultural and economic future for the iwi.I mentioned at the deed of settlement signing ceremony in May that it's not possible—never possible—to fully compensate Ngāti Hinerangi for the loss and prejudice they have suffered. I therefore acknowledge their generosity in graciously accepting the redress contained in this settlement package and trust that today will mark a new beginning in the relations between Ngāti Hinerangi and the Crown. This settlement lays the cultural and economic foundation for Ngāti Hinerangi rangatahi mokopuna and future generations. This is reflected in the name chosen for the Ngāti Hinerangi post-settlement governance entity: Te Puāwaitanga o Ngāti Hinerangi Iwi Trust meaning the blossoming of Ngāti Hinerangi. Through this settlement the Crown hopes to restore its honour and alleviate Ngāti Hinerangi's acute sense of grievance. The Crown looks forward to building a new relationship with Ngāti Hinerangi based on cooperation mutual trust and respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles. So thank you again to Ngāti Hinerangi for your unwavering commitment to achieve this settlement. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa. I commend this bill to the House."