August 16, 2023
Long road to make Nelson Tenths whole
The former chair of Nelson’s Wakatū Incorporation hopes a 10-week remedies hearing which started in the High Court in Wellington this week will end the 180 years of a fight for justice over what’s known as the Nelson Tenths.
Wakatu manages what’s left of the 15,000 acres which was supposed to have been set aside when Nelson Maori allowed the New Zealand Company to put settlers into Nelson and Tasman in 1839 – an obligation the Supreme Court has ruled the Crown picked up.
Paul Morgan says it’s premature to talk about the potential billions that may be owed, but the descendants of the original owners trust in the High Court to rule according to the law and make the land whole again.
“The court assesses losses and then the court makes a final decision, subject to appeal, on the remedies of what it believes is in the trust,” he says.
Mr Morgan says they are reasonably confident of winning the case because of the favourable 2017 ruling from the Supreme Court, which referred the complex matter back to the High Court for final resolution.