Aquaculture signing ceremony, Te Papa, 7 May

Hon Phil Heatley speech

E nga waka,  e nga mana, e nga reo, tena koutou katoa

It is a great pleasure to be here today to sign this Deed of Settlement for aquaculture space in the South Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.

As the Prime Minister has said, today is an historic occasion for many reasons and shows a way forward for the wider treaty settlements process.

Today is about formalising an agreement between iwi and Crown.  It is about meeting the Crown's obligations to the iwi of the South Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.

It takes in the most productive waters for aquaculture in the country - waters that have been a food basket for tangata whenua for generations and are now a food basket for our whole country and for the world.

Maori have known and valued kutäi for generations; they have been an important food resource for iwi, hapu and whänau for hundreds of years.

Now the world is finding out about kutäi and they can't seem to get enough. Sold as Greenshell mussels, they are sought after internationally and are the centre of a vitally important industry - an industry important for the whole country but especially important in the rohe of the iwi here today.

There are other native species we are working towards farming like tuna (freshwater eels), haku (kingfish) and häpuku (groper) as well as species more recently brought to New Zealand like pacific oysters and salmon.

Marine farming is an industry that has huge potential to provide exciting, rewarding careers and economic development for Mäori.

It is an industry that already has a strong and vibrant Mäori presence which can only grow as the industry grows.

In 2004 the Crown made an undertaking to settle obligations to Maori in the aquaculture sector as part of the Maori Aquaculture Settlement.

However, meeting these obligations proved difficult, not through a lack of commitment from either party, but through practical difficulties.

There were difficulties with the current aquaculture law and establishing new space, and there were difficulties with any proposal to buy existing marine farming space and provide it to iwi in an effective way.

It became obvious that it would not be practical for the Crown to settle its obligations under the Aquaculture Settlement Act by providing marine farming space.

The payments that form the centre of today's settlement are the financial equivalent of that space and meet the Crown's aquaculture obligations to the iwi here today.

Throughout the development of this settlement agreement we have seen innovative thinking, open negotiation and a willingness to work together to make the settlement happen.

The proposal from iwi in partnership with the Crown for an early regional settlement was innovative.

The request to extend the negotiations to include the iwi of all the major aquaculture areas showed real commitment and a spirit of co-operation.

Developing a way to agree a fair value for that marine farming space is a fantastic achievement.

Developing a way to allocate the settlement amongst the large number of iwi who are here today required hard work and commitment from Te Ohu Kai Moana and from iwi leaders.

To finalise the settlement so quickly and on such a large scale is an achievement the likes of which we have never seen, but one I hope we will see again.

The iwi involved in negotiating this settlement have cut a path for others to follow, and you have shown what can be achieved.

The National-led Government wants to see historical Treaty claims settled quickly and fairly so old wounds can begin to heal and so iwi and the Crown can move forward together.

It will again and again require hard work and commitment.

It will again and again also require co-operation and a good deal of lateral thinking.

These attributes got us to this point today.

We can repeat them.

This settlement will provide financial resources to help secure the financial wellbeing of the iwi - financial resources that each iwi can use and invest as they wish.

However you choose to use the settlement money, we hope it will help your iwi, hapu and whänau to stand tall, economically strong and independent.

The Government wants to see the settlement money flowing to iwi as soon as possible.

Tomorrow I will table in the parliament an amendment bill to amend the Aquaculture Settlement Act and allow the settlement to be completed and clear the way for other aquaculture settlements like this to be negotiated.

The Amendment Bill will receive its first reading next Tuesday and, subject to Parliament's approval, should be in force by the end of the year.

I repeat, this is an historic day, signing an historic and exciting settlement, and I have great pleasure in being here to add my signature on behalf of the Crown.

No reira tënä koutou, tënä koutou, tënä koutou katoa.