Robertson Grant: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Robertson Grant: Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:655;Page:4964] 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker. Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika—tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. It gives me a great deal of pleasure as the member of Parliament for Wellington Central to stand in the House today and speak during this second reading. It is a pleasure to be here not too long after the joyous occasion at the Pipitea Marae that my colleague Rahui Katene mentioned earlier. That was indeed a special occasion. I am not sure whether the air of heavy anticipation that Rahui mentioned was just Darren Ponter’s stress about whether all the i’s had been dotted and the t’s had been crossed but it was a very special day. 
I join with my colleagues in acknowledging the work of both the Taranaki Whanui and the Office of Treaty Settlements and of all the officials who have worked on this settlement. It has indeed been a long long road since the claim was lodged and obviously even a longer road since grievances were aired. 
I will not dwell in great detail on the aspects of the agreement; they have been covered quite well today by a number of other members. But I do not think that anyone who reads through the submissions or who looks at the settlement or at any of the history around the Port Nicholson Block could help but be moved by it and feel that there needs to be urgent redress. As the Wellington Central MP every day as I walk around the electorate I serve I am very very conscious that the steps I take are on land that was taken on the basis of a flawed deed and without compensation on land where title was extinguished without any reason or need and on land where long delays to justice and redress have been experienced. As I walk around Wellington Central I feel that so I can therefore only imagine how it feels for the Taranaki Whanui. I hope that as we move through this process now the feeling that we are resolving that issue and moving on together is one that we can grasp. 
I will talk about two matters in particular today. There has been some discussion about the first of them and none about the second so I will speak more about the second. The first matter I want particularly to talk about is the statement of forgiveness. For me the thing that struck me at Pipitea Marae last year was the way in which Taranaki Whanui were able to do something that had never happened before in a Treaty settlement. That was a unique aspect. For me it is the strongest possible basis for the people of the Wellington region of Whanganui-a-Tara to move forward together. We have the apology and the apology is meant and seriously meant and that has been reflected in the speeches today and in other speeches in Parliament during this process—and indeed in the deed of settlement. But the notion of a statement of forgiveness in return is something quite remarkable. I believe that that will give us an extremely solid basis going forward for the Wellington region to develop and I am happy to be a part of that. 
An aspect of the bill I will also mention now in terms specifically of the future of Wellington is the question of Wellington town belt land. There is a reference in the commentary from the Maori Affairs Committee to some of the submitters who raised concerns about the inclusion of former town belt land in terms of this bill. I will read briefly from the report of the select committee to ensure that this ends up on the record: “We understand that the bill provides for ‘Right of First Refusal for 100 years’ and that agencies owning land which is subject to the right of first refusal may offer the land to a local authority in accordance with section 50 of the Public Works Act 1981. Upon such a transfer the local authority for example the Wellington City Council would take on the right of first refusal obligation to Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika.” 
I put into the record that the process for dealing with and ensuring that we continue to have a strong and constructive relationship around the town belt has some basis in the bill. But what is much more significant for me is the ongoing relationship between the Taranaki Whanui and the people of Wellington around the management of our town belt. 
The town belt is an incredibly important part of Wellington. The green space that surrounds this city is one of its unique features valued I think by all Wellingtonians Pakeha and Maori alike. I think it is extremely important as we move forward that there is a place for the Taranaki Whanui in the overall management of the town belt. At this time I am working with the Wellington City Council on a local bill that will begin to clarify some elements of the town belt—its shape and its size and how land is taken out of it or put into it. That work will crucially involve Taranaki Whanui. I hope that some form of kaitiaki-type status will be able to be vested with Taranaki Whanui and that the Wellington City Council and those represented by the Taranaki Whanui will be able to be part of managing that land together. That town belt land now forms a critical part of what I believe is a joint future in Wellington. 
I know that I did not participate in the select committee. Therefore it will be of great interest to me in the Committee stage of this bill to be able to work through some of the issues that other colleagues have raised—the opt-out clause being one I am particularly interested in. 
I like the fact that in the select committee process the issue to do with the Pipitea Marae has been dealt with. I think that it looks as if there is an enduring process there. Pipitea Marae plays a very important role in Wellington as a whole. It is obviously of great spiritual significance for the Taranaki Whanui but it is also of significance for Wellingtonians generally. One of the great occasions each year in Wellington takes place immediately after the Dawn Service on Anzac Day when people troop down the road towards the Pipitea Marae and come together in a way that is particularly special on a day that many New Zealanders now regard even more fondly—Anzac Day. To me that symbolises the important place that Pipitea Marae has in my city. I am very pleased that in the select committee process we have been able to work through the Pipitea Marae issue. 
I look forward to the Committee stage of this bill. I believe that the settlement will allow Wellington to move forward together as a city where Maori and Pakeha have their rightful say and their rightful place and an ability to stay connected to the lands and the history that are so important to them. Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker.