Listen Now: 
August 18, 2023
Te Whakatōhea settlement reaches parliament
Claudette Hauiti
Posted On August 18, 2023
Download AudioMore than 100 years after Te Whakatōhea first petitioned for redress over the crown’s attack on its homeland, parliament has passed the first reading of a bill settling its claims.
Treaty Settlements Minister Andrew Little says it follows more than three decades of negotiations.
He reiterated the Crown’s apology for its 1865 attack on Ōpotiki and the desecration of their tūpuna Tio Kahika.
The settlement redress includes more than $100-million in financial, cultural, and commercial redress, the transfer of 33 sites of cultural significance, bespoke natural resource and conservation arrangements, and relationship agreements with core Crown agencies.
“The settlement redress package also includes a 5000 hectares of sea space to in the coastal marine area in which only Whakatohea may apply for permits for aquaculture activities. This redress is a first in treaty settlements and it will complement the Whakatohea aquaculture strategy which is already bringing benefits to Whakatohea and Opotiki,” Mr Little says.
The Bill was referred to the Māori Affairs Select Committee for public consultation.
RELATED NEWS
