Parliament has introduced a bill settling Tūhoe claims and made progress on the settlement for the central North Island branch of the Ngāti Raukawa.
The Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading yesterday in extended sitting hours and was referred to the Māori Affairs Committee.
It includes an apology and commercial redress of $50 million including the value of the iwi’s share in the 2008 Central North Island Forestry Settlement.
It also returns culturally significant sites along the Waikato River and other areas and strengthens the commercial relationship between Raukawa and Mighty River Power.
Te Urewera-Tuhoe Bill will eventually be split into two bills, one giving effect to the deed of settlement signed between the Crown and Ngāi Tūhoe in June, and a Te Urewera Bill creating a new legal identity and governance structure for Te Urewera national park.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson says it’s the sixth treaty settlement bill introduced this year and follows on from a record eleven settlement bills completed in 2013.
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