Porotī land secured for Treaty settlement

  • Hon Andrew Little
Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

Treaty Minister Andrew Little has announced the Government has secured land near Whangarei that’s been the focus of Ngāpuhi concerns about the health and well-being of Porotī Springs.

 “The Crown has purchased nearly four hectares of land near Porotī Springs which will be landbanked for a future Treaty settlement.

 “The Crown property purchase includes a resource consent to extract water from the Whatitiri aquifer which feeds the Porotī Springs.

 “The Crown has been negotiating for some time to acquire this piece of land because of the cultural significance of Porotī Springs to the local hapū and Ngāpuhi.

 “To secure ownership of the property the Crown entered a commercial negotiation and paid $7.5m. Ngāpuhi is currently engaged in discussions around their Treaty of Waitangi negotiations.  This purchase is about addressing the potential for this site to become an asset to the beneficiaries of a future settlement.

 “Management of the land before settlement will be the responsibility of the Crown Property Centre of Expertise at Land Information New Zealand. 

 “I want to acknowledge the hapū who have endured years of frustration” says Andrew Little.