Ririnui Mita: Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill — Third Reading 
Ririnui Mita: Mauao Historic Reserve Vesting Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:647;Page:15965] 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Minister of State) 
: 
 Otira kei te Kaihautu me penei ra te korero maku: “Papaki tu ana nga tai ki Mauao whakanukuhia whakanekenekehia. I whiua reretia a Tuawahinerua ki te wai ki tai wiwi ki tai wawa ki te whaiao ki te ao marama a tihei mauria ora.” 
Me te huri au ki aku iwi mai ra i a Tauranga Moana na ratou te kaupapa i korerohia e tatou i roto i te Whare i tenei po. A kua tau nei nga mihi ki a koutou ehara ma to koutou potiki pononga koutou hei whakatau. No reira kai aku hoa Paremata Parekura koutou ra i nga ropu torangapu katoa o te Whare nei na koutou nei nga iwi o Tauranga Moana i whakatau tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou. 
Hei korero ano maku kei te Kaihautu e penei ana ma Tauranga Moana tonu hei korero i ana korero ehara ma tetahi atu. No reira na runga i tena ka huri au ki te reo o tauiwi kia marama ai te Whare i nga tu ahuatanga nga tumomo korero kei roto i tenei kaupapa. 
[ 
Indeed Madam Assistant Speaker there is a saying that I would like to quote and it goes like this: “The surging tides rise up beating and crashing upon Mauao to shift and move it. Tuawahinerua was cast upon the tides from near and far and to the world of light and understanding; and behold there was life.” 
I turn to my people from Tauranga Harbour whose proposal is the focus of our debate tonight. You have been acknowledged and welcomed—something that a humble servant of yours is not entitled to do. So to you my fellow parliamentarians Parekura and all other parties of this House you welcomed the people from Tauranga and I gratefully acknowledge you three times over.  
There is something else I would like to say Madam Assistant Speaker and it is this: Tauranga Moana is the only one that can speak for itself and relate its stories—no one else. On that basis I will turn to English so that all aspects relating to this bill are clear to the House 
.] 
It is obvious that we are in an election year given the level of campaigning that is going on in the House this evening in relation to this bill. Is it not incredible that something that should be so easy to vote on in this House took so long to be brought here? We have heard stories of journeys of experiences and of the technical aspects relating to this particular piece of legislation. I want to talk about a journey as well. I will talk about a journey of a great mountain who once stood in the midst of many great mountains. It is the story of a journey of the mountain down through the landscape of Tauranga—the reshaping of landscape the forming of rivers and eventually the forming of what is commonly known as Te Awanui or Tauranga Moana coming to rest at the mouth of the Tauranga Harbour—and the journeys of the patupaiarehe who guided the mountain on his journey. When he arrived at the final point I am sure he thought his journey was over. So he thought but it was not to be that way.  
Mauao has had very many experiences and has witnessed many events. He has seen the coming of the great migration or settlement subsequent migrations and conflicts with people from other lands—from other corners of the world. He has experienced love and joy happiness and sadness. But the most recent of his experiences has been the one of alienation and that point has been discussed in considerable detail in the House this evening. I know that some people are hugely familiar with the history of Mauao but the people of Mauao the people of Tauranga Moana have an intimate relationship with this maunga. I have heard statements that kua ngaro te mana o te iwi o Tauranga Moana ki toratou maunga. [ 
the Tauranga Harbour people have lost ownership of their mountain. 
] That is not the case. Mauao is our maunga iringa korero. We relate to it in our oratory; we relate to him in our oratory. Our mana on our maunga is there in perpetuity regardless of the actions of the Crown and its attempts to sever our relationship with our historic iconic landmarks. I want to make that point clear in the House this evening. This vesting of Mauao in the people of Mauao is considered nothing more and it should not be considered anything more than an attempt by the Crown to develop positive relationships with the iwi of Tauranga Moana and I believe that to some degree that has been achieved. 
I acknowledge the contributions made by very many people within this House. I acknowledge the contribution made by the Speaker of the House the Hon Margaret Wilson at the time she was the Attorney-General and the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations in acknowledging the requests of Tauranga Moana kaumatua and kuia for the return of this great majestic mountain to them and also in her subsequent instruction to officials to make this transfer happen. At that point it became very obvious that the Crown was committed to the transfer. The detail about how that happened created a bit of angst amongst many including Crown officials and iwi representatives but I believe that through a robust process of debate and consultation we have managed to resolve many of those concerns. 
It was mentioned earlier in the House this evening that clause 7 basically did not acknowledge the true relationship that Tauranga Moana iwi had with Mauao and that the Crown refused to hear the request for either the deletion or the rewording of the particular clause. It is important in this House that Hansard record the truth and it is my obligation and my responsibility to make sure that the truth is heard. That is not the truth. The Crown did listen to requests and approaches from iwi to reconsider the wording of clause 7 because iwi found it offensive. To that end Crown Law offered a draft statement on how the wording could be amended to accommodate the concerns of the iwi. However when that statement was presented to the people of Tauranga the iwi of Tauranga at the last hui I attended when I was in Tauranga it was rejected. Along with the proposed rewording Crown Law also sent a warning that any attempt to water down clause 7 would only subject the trustees of the Mauao Trust to possible litigation in terms of public safety. I know that Hansard will record this accurate statement. 
I acknowledge the kaumata and kuia of Tauranga Moana who have come a long way this evening to experience and witness the final journey of this very very long-standing and outstanding issue with regard to the return of Mauao to them. 
Nga iwi o Tauranga Moana kua pau te wa ki ahau na Te Torangapu Maori te he. Kai te pai kai a ratou tena. No reira na runga i tena me ki hoki pai atu ki te hau kainga i runga i te mohio kua tutuki ra a ratou hikoitanga o to tatou maunga ki a tatou ano. Kia ora tatou. 
[ 
To you the people of Tauranga the time given to me has expired. The Maori Party is responsible for that. But that is fine. They can sort that out. Let me wish you instead a safe return home knowing that the journey that was made to ensure that our mountain is back with us again has been achieved. Greetings 
.]  
Kia ora tatou. 
Bill read a third time. 
Waiata 
Sitting suspended from 6.01 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.