23 Mar 2005

On 17th of March 2005 the Ngati Awa Settlement Bill and the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill were passed into law after their third reading.

The Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill gives effect to the Deed of Settlement, which was signed by the Crown and Ngati Awa, to settle historical claims made by Ngati Awa. Settlement in the Bill includes financial redress of $42.39 million. It also recognises Ngati Awa has traditional historical, cultural and spiritual associations with particular places and sites.

The following links will connect you to further information on the Settlement: Ngati Awa Iwi Website and Government Press Releases

SUMMARY OF THE NGATI AWA SETTLEMENT

Overview The Ngati Awa Deed of Settlement is a package that includes: - An agreed historical account, Crown acknowledgements and a Crown Apology to Ngati Awa - Cultural redress - Financial and commercial redress.

The benefits of the settlement will be available to all members of Ngati Awa, wherever they may live.

Crown Apology The Crown apologises to Ngati Awa for past dealings that breached the Crown's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi including the confiscation of land, the compensation process, the operation and impact of the native land laws and the cumulative impact of these events on Ngati Awa, which undermined traditional tribal structures and left Ngati Awa virtually landless.

Cultural Redress This included: - Statutory acknowledgements - Deeds of recognition - Protocols with government departments and commitments to contact third parties - Place-names - Sites transferred and management input - Gifts - Wahi tapu sites; and - Restoration of Ngati Awa access to traditional foods and food gathering areas.

Financial and Commercial Redress This included:

3(a) A combination of Crown-owned land selected by Ngati Awa and cash up to a value of $42.39 million Among the properties Ngati Awa has selected are portions of the Kaingaroa and Rotoehu Forests (land only).

3(b) Right of First Refusal Ngati Awa will have, for a period of 50 years, a Right of First Refusal to buy, at full market value, Crown-owned properties in a specified area, should they be disposed of by the Crown.

Awanuiarangi II Title The Deed of Settlement provides that Ngati Awa may hold any land in a new category of land title (Awanuiarangi II Title).

Ngati Awa Ancillary Claims On the recommendation of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1999 the Crown also intends to settle three ancillary claims separate from the broader Ngati Awa claim. There will be separate Deeds of Settlement for the three ancillary claims and the timeline for settlement will differ from the main Ngati Awa settlement. The ancillary claims are: - Wai 79 concerning Awakeri Springs - Wai 247 concerning a quarry site in the Waiohau C26 block - Wai 248 concerning a quarry site in the Rangitaiki 60C block.