Hereora Dave: Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill — In Committee 
Hereora Dave: Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:634;Page:5344] 
DAVE HEREORA (Labour) 
: 
 I again take this opportunity to take a call surrounding the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill. The scope of the bill is indeed quite large in terms of iwi and hapu and their geographical interests ranging from the settlement of Maketu reaching around the bluff to Newdick’s Beach following through to Otamarakau and down through to Te Kaha as far south as Tongariro. It also takes on board the lakes in Rotorua and obviously this settlement is designed to hand the ownership of the lakes back to Te Arawa. I think it is important to acknowledge that area and the hapu that work within that area. 
When we talked about the agreement that was struck back in 1922 between the Crown and Te Arawa we also recall that during that time Te Arawa generously postponed claims to the lake beds during World War I and gifted a percentage of the payment to assist the Crown during the Depression. They repeated that gesture in support of our country during World War II. The Crown acknowledges the spiritual cultural economic and traditional importance of the lakes and their resources to Te Arawa. The Crown also acknowledges for example that it failed to legislate for a significant number of fishing licences for Te Arawa in 1908 when it promoted legislation to acknowledge the problem of hardship. The introduction of exotic fish species also significantly depleted the indigenous species that Te Arawa depended on for food hospitality trade and koha. 
The preamble to the bill acknowledges Te Arawa’s historical and cultural affinity with the lakes. The transfer of the lake beds has guaranteed free public access for recreational activities such as swimming boating fishing etc. along with the preservation of the existing rights of commercial users and the owners of boatsheds and jetties. Although the 1922 agreement is not challenged by this settlement this legislation will settle all of Te Arawa’s historical claims related to the lakes at any time between 1840 and 1922 including any claims related to the 1922 agreement. 
Negotiations between the trust board and the Crown began in 1999. Throughout the settlement negotiations both parties recognised that their mandate extended only to lakes-related matters and that any settlement reached would not settle Te Arawa’s historical grievances in matters unrelated to the lakes claim. I acknowledge the hard work and effort made by all those in Te Arawa who faced many obstacles and challenges but preserved their patience and dignity. Without their hard work it would have been much more difficult to reach such a significant point as we have reached with the bill that is here today. 
Let us be very clear that the bill settles only claims made under the Treaty in regard to the lakes until 1992 and any issues that Te Arawa may have either now or in the future concerning the annuity provided to the trust board under the 1922 agreement. In doing so this legislation clarifies that the Crown settlement offer does not settle any claims under the Treaty that do not concern the lakes or the annuity. Te Arawa maintain the opportunity to negotiate with the Crown for the settlement of their historical grievances under the Treaty in relation to land and any other matters unrelated to the lakes and the annuity. 
The bill also involves the apology which is equally as important as the financial redress as it moves forward by recognising the mana of Te Arawa in respect of the lakes. More important the bill commences the vital option of rebuilding the relationship between both parties. The apology is important to the Crown because it acknowledges the breaches of the Treaty in respect of the lakes and extends an open hand by way of an apology for those breaches to Te Arawa. 
An annuity redress is recognition of the fact that the Crown’s actions in respect of the lakes breached the Treaty. The annuity redress is additional to capitalising the annuity and settles any remaining issues post - 21 September 1992. 
The cultural redress provided by the Crown in the bill is arguably the most significant aspect of the settlement. The cultural redress is provided to meet the cultural interests of Te Arawa in respect of the lakes and it recognises their mana over the lakes. Significantly the cultural redress recognises their close association with the lakes and provides measures to ensure their ownership of the lake beds and their continued involvement in the future management of the lakes.