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Auckland iwi Ngati Whatua is looking forward to sitting down with other iwi and the Auckland Council to discuss future management of the city’s maunga.
The volcanic cones along with some Hauraki Gulf islands will be returned as part of the settlement with the Tamaki Makaurau Collective that passed into law today.
The settlement, which covers the shared interests of the region’s 14 iwi and hapu, also includes a right of first refusal on surplus crown land for the next 172 years.
Ngati Whatua o Orakei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair says the lengthy negotiations have brought the iwi together, and they now have a formal structure to work within.
"At least now we will have a table, kanohi ki te kanohi, and work through the issues that need to be worked through around how do we tell our stories without starting the musket wars again, how do we use better methods than grazing cows to keep weeds under control, so it's great we are finally going to have a table to talk about those things," he says.
Mr Blair says there has been a lot of media interest in when a tree will be replanted on the summit of Maungakiekie-One Tree Hill, but the old people would say the best time for planting on such a spot is in winter.
The Te Urewera-Tuhoe Bill was also read for a third time in a special extended sitting of parliament this morning.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH NGARIMU BLAIR CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjA0MjA=
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