Paraone Pita: Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill — First Reading 
Paraone Pita: Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:650;Page:19246] 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker engari i mua i te haere tonu o tenei pire e mihi tonu ki a koutou nga rangatira mai i Te Arawa. Ahakoa kei waenganui po i puta mai te pire nei engari ko te mea nui kua puta mai. 
[ 
Greetings to you Mr Deputy Speaker but before I continue on this bill I acknowledge the leaders of Te Arawa. Although this bill has emerged in the middle of the night the main thing is that it has appeared 
.] 
I am acknowledging the presence of the elders from Te Arawa in the gallery at this time. I said that irrespective of what time of day this Whakarewarewa and Roto-a-Tamaheke Vesting Bill has come before the House the main thing I am sure not only for myself and the New Zealand First Party but for the elders of Te Arawa is that it has come before the House. This indicates that the bill is now part of the process and subsequent to this debate it will be referred to the Maori Affairs Committee for consideration. This is not a settlement bill as a number of speakers who preceded me have mentioned but it is associated with settlement bills and in particular with the affiliate Te Arawa legislation that was passed earlier today. New Zealand First will certainly be supporting this bill going to the select committee because it will allow those people who are concerned about a number of issues to bring them to the select committee for consideration. I know that representatives of the Ngati Wahiao runanga attempted to make an appointment to see me today but unfortunately due to the number of legislative items today that concerned Maori I was unable to meet with them. But essentially the concern is in terms of Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao. I think that many of the concerns expressed during the hearings on the affiliate Te Arawa legislation were a prelude to this particular bill and that is the issue of Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao. 
As I mentioned during the debate on those bills this is not an issue I believe for this House to debate; rather it is an issue to be resolved by the iwi themselves. The Whakarewarewa Valley land and the Roto-a-Tamaheke Reserve are of significant cultural traditional historical and spiritual importance to Ngati Whakaue and Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao. They comprise the Whakarewarewa Thermal Springs Reserve and the Southern Arikikapakapa Reserve. The fee simple estate in the Whakarewarewa Valley land and the Roto-a-Tamaheke Reserve is vested as follows: the fee simple estate in the Southern Arikikapakapa Reserve is vested in the Crown. The fee simple estate in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Springs Reserve was vested in the Crown but under the affiliate Te Arawa legislation it has been vested in the Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa trustees. The fee simple estate in the Roto-a-Tamaheke Reserve was vested in the Crown but under the affiliate Te Arawa legislation it has been vested in the Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa trustees. 
I do not think there is too much more that needs to be said during this first reading; suffice it to say that there is no doubt of the iconic position that this piece of land—I should not say “piece” of land because it really is of cultural and traditional historical significance to Ngati Whakaue and Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao—plays in the wider economy of our country. In fact because of these lands many of our overseas visitors come to New Zealand to enjoy the scenery that this area provides not only for visitors from overseas but also for many New Zealanders. I think it is an indication of the contribution that Ngati Whakaue Tuhourangi and Ngati Wahiao make to the wider economy of our country. New Zealand First will support this bill being referred to the select committee. Kia ora.