February 27, 2023
Whakatohea tries to calm settlement fears
The Whakatōhea Pre-Settlement Claims Trust is welcoming the crown’s decision to accept its mandate.
Negotiator Maui Hudson says it can now push forward with the $100 million settlement.
The package also includes 5000 hectares of marine space, the vesting of 33 sites of significance for cultural redress, the transfer of 18 Crown properties in commercial redress and the right to purchase a further 10 properties within a two-year deferred settlement period.
He says while elements of some hapū continue their opposition, there’s enough there to lay a foundation for the future.
“Some people still feel a bit anxious about what they see as the division that exists within some of the hapū and across the iwi around what’s an appropriate way forward. We’re really clear that the settlement itself is ‘mo te katoa’, for everyone – whether you were supporting the process or not, the benefits will be there for all of us,'” Mr Hudson says.
The Waitangi Tribunal will continue its inquiry into historic claims in the eastern Bay of Plenty including contemporary claims that weren’t part of the historic settlement.