The passing of the Whakarewarewa and Roto a Tamaheke Vesting Bill today begins the final steps towards tangata whenua ownership of an iconic Rotorua thermal area, said the Minister of Maori Affairs, Dr Pita Sharples.

"The return of this land reflects the strengthening of relations between the Crown and Maori," said Dr Sharples. "This law allows for rangatiratanga to be restored, while the Arts and Crafts Institute continues to operate as lessee."

"This Bill deals with the technical processes required to transfer ownership of the three reserves in the Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley to the iwi of the area. However, behind the Bill lies a plethora of complex issues related to the history, iwi relationships on the ground, and the Crown-Maori relationships," he said.

"We acknowledge the Bill represents a compromise by all involved, in respect of the greater interests of the iwi. All parties have agreed to initiate a process, after the Bill becomes law, which will allow iwi to determine the allocation of mana whenua interests in the land.

"The Bill itself does not specify how this process should occur. This is a matter for the iwi and hapū parties to determine, and the process will be undertaken in accordance with tikanga," said Dr Sharples.

"Implementation of this Bill must be in the domain of iwi - it is not for elected representatives of Government to determine how that process plays out - that is the realm of tino rangatiratanga.

"Some have said "let the Courts decide."  I have preferred to leave that to the people - it was the processes and decisions of the Courts that resulted in the iwi losing their lands in the first place.  There is a previous history of problems with judicial involvement and determinations over this land that failed to resolve contested rights and led to the alienation of the lands to the Crown."

Dr Sharples paid tribute to the key tribal organisations and their leaders who have been involved in complex discussions, including the Pukeroa Oruawhata Trust and Te Kotahitanga o Ngati Whakaue, Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust, and Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao.

"I mihi, too, to Te Maru o Ngati Wahiao who have advocated so passionately over the ever-enduring concerns of participation, of representation, of involvement," he said.

"I remain confident that all iwi and mana whenua interests in the Reserves will be able to participate in the arrangements for their management and allocation in the future.

"To all the people of Te Arawa gathered here today, ka nui taku harikoa ku eke tatau ki tenei ra e whakahoki nei i te mana o enei whenua ki nga uri o nga kaumatua hei whenua tuturu mo koutou mo ake tonu atu," he said.

Kua tata whakahokia a Whakarewarewa me te Roto-a-Tamaheke ki te tangata whenua

No te whakamanatanga o te Ture Whakahoki Mana o Whakarewarewa me te Roto-a-Tamaheke, kua timata nga hikoi whakamutunga, e hoki atu ai tetahi whenua ngawha kei Rotorua ki te iwi kainga, e ai ki te Minita Maori ki a Takuta Pita Sharples.

"Ko te whakahokinga whenua nei, he hononga mo te Karauna me nga iwi hei hoa. Ma te ture nei e taea ai te rangatiratanga o te whenua, i te wa e haere tonu ana nga mahi a Te Puia i runga i te whenua," hei ta Takuta Sharples.

"Ma te pire nei e tutuki ai nga tikanga o te ture e pa ana ki te whakahokinga atu ki nga iwi kainga o nga whenua rahui e toru i te riu o Whakarewarewa. Otira kei muri, he tāwekatanga take, e ahu mai ana i nga whakapapa, nga mahi tipuna, nga mahi hoki a te Karauna," hei tana.

"Kua whakaae nga iwi maha ki te whai atu i te tunga kotahi, ki te whakatau i nga ahuatanga mana whenua e noho tarewa tonu ana. Kua tukuna e tena e tena nga maramara tuki ki te taha. He aha ai? Kia taea ai e nga iwi whanui te haere whakamua."

"Kaua ma te pire nei te whakatau me pehea te whakatutuki i nga ahuatanga nei, e kao, ma nga iwi, ma nga hapu ke i runga i nga tikanga a kui ma koro ma," ta Takuta Sharples.

"Ma nga iwi te whakatinanatanga o te Pire nei - kaua ma nga kaitorangapu o te kawanatanga tenei tumomo ahuatanga e whakatutukihia, ma te tino rangatiratanga ke."

"E ai ki etahi ‘waiho ma te kooti te kupu whakamutunga.' Ki ahau nei, waiho ke ma te iwi - i putake mai te muru whenua Maori i te ringa o te kooti. Kua raru ke nga whenua nei i raro i te maru o te kooti, i kore i tau ai nga tukituki, na, ka riro nga whenua i te karauna."

Ka tuku mihi atu a Takuta Sharples ki nga iwi, ki nga hapu, ki nga rangatira i ata whiri i nga take, ara, ki nga kaitiaki o Pukeroa Oruawhata, ki Te Kotahitanga o Ngati Whakaue, ki Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa, ki Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao.

"Kei te mihi atu hoki ki Te Maru o Ngati Wahiao kua kokiri, kua whakahau kia whai wahi, whai reo, whai tikanga nga hapu katoa," hei ta te Minita.

"Kei te whakapono tonu au, ka whai wahi katoa nga iwi whai panga ki te whakahaere, ki te whakatau tikanga hoki mo nga whenua rahui, ake tonu atu.

"Ki nga iwi katoa o Te Arawa kua huihui mai nei, ka nui taku harikoa kua eke tatau ki tenei ra e whakahoki nei i te mana o enei whenua ki nga uri o nga kaumatua hei whenua tuturu mo koutou mo ake tonu atu," hei tana ano.