Deed of Settlement signed with Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki

  • Christopher Finlayson
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

The Crown has signed a deed of settlement for all outstanding historical Treaty claims with Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki at Whareroa Marae near Tauranga, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson announced today.

The Crown was represented at the signing by Mr Finlayson. The signing was witnessed by local Member of Parliament Simon Bridges.

Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki’s claims are based on both raupatu (confiscation) and post-raupatu actions and omissions of the Crown. The Crown’s actions and omissions have meant that today Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki are virtually landless, retaining only approximately two percent of their rohe, and that their cultural landscapes and seascapes have been compromised and diminished.

“We can never fully compensate for these wrongs however this settlement will enable the people of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki to look forward to a stronger future,” Mr Finlayson said.

The settlement includes financial and commercial redress of $26.5 million for Ngāi Te Rangi and $3 million for Ngā Pōtiki. Cultural redress provides recognition of the traditional, historical, cultural and spiritual associations of Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki with several key sites. This allows Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngā Pōtiki and the Crown to protect and enhance the conservation values associated with several key sites in their rohe.

“Signing this deed of settlement with Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngā Pōtiki is an important step towards settling all historical grievances in the Bay of Plenty and New Zealand as a whole,” Mr Finlayson said.

The settlement will be given effect through legislation.

This is the final individual deed of settlement for a member of the Tauranga Moana Iwi Collective, which is negotiating a collective deed of settlement for redress over the shared interests of iwi in the Tauranga area.

It is the eighth deed of settlement signed by the Crown in 2013, and the 41st since November 2008.

A copy of the deed of settlement is available on the OTS website.