August 07, 2017
Te Wairoa seeks 30,000 members
The settlement organisation for Te Wairoa claimants is holding hui to prepare its people for a $100 million treaty settlement.
The Maori Affairs select committee has reported back the settlement bill, meaning the settlement could be concluded by May next year.
Leon Symes from Tatau Tatau o Te Wairoa says claimants have been through the ratification process, and now their input is needed on what how the post-settlement organisation will work.
Just over 6000 members have registered so far, but potentially the settlement could benefit more than 30,000 people from seven hapu clusters at the northern end of Ngati Kahungunu.
"We’ve set up an engagement team to drive that engagement with our members.The more we have involved the better the process, the more informed they are, so we are all working tribally together and moving forward rather than some feeling disenfranchised and not part of the process. So we are encouraging everyone to regiser and to get involved in the process so their voices can be heard," Mr Symes says.
Hui were held over the weekend at Wairoa, Napier and Wellington, and the team will be in Rotorua Hamilton and Auckland next weekend.
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com