During April members of the Trust Board and staff met with Maureen Hickey (add title) and Nigel Fyfe (add title Lead Negotiator) from the Office of Treaty Settlements (OTS) who explained that a restructure had recently taken place within OTS. The new structure provides for four large regions to work with Iwi, which have been broken down as Te Raki region, Te Waenga region, Te Hauāuru region and Te Rāwhiti region.
Ngātiwai comes under the new Te Raki region, which also includes Ngāpuhi, Ngātikahu ki Whangaroa, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua and Ngāti Kahu.
On a positive note this restructure provides continuity for the Board in working with the same OTS staff in order to complete the settlement journey instead of constantly changing staff. However, the restructure has done very little to remedy the disjointed way in which OTS manage overlapping claimant groups from adjoining regions.
Ngātiwai Trust Board Chairman, Haydn Edmonds, took the opportunity to express the Board’s concern that while we wait for a report on the Ngātiwai Mandate Inquiry, other groups of Iwi and Hapū are finalising their settlements with redress that might have otherwise been negotiated as part of a Ngātiwai Settlement. For example redress that is being offered to Marutūahu and Hauraki Iwi is well within our whenua and coastline.
Haydn Edmonds says “The redress that is being offered to the likes of Marutūahu and Hauraki sees them making incursions on our whenua and coastline, and frankly they have no place or right to do so”.
“Knowing we have already fought this battle against Marutūahu in the Maori Land Court way back in 1996, it is disappointing that the Crown has not referred to this decision before offering any redress on Aotea”.
Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 – Update
Now that our Marine and Coastal Area (MACA) public notices have been advertised, interested parties are required to respond (in support or opposition) by filing a notice of appearance with the High Court within certain timeframes, as follows:
- Ngātiwai Trust Board application by 31 May 2017,
- Ngātiwai ki Whangaruru applications (five in total) by 1 June 2017,
- Whananaki application (1 application) by 1 June 2017, and
- Ngunguru Marae Trust by 17 May 2017.
The Ngātiwai Trust Board was pleased to work with and support those whānau that approached us to ensure the protection of Whānau, Hapū and Iwi customary rights. The Board is committed to continuing work with Whānau and Hapū, as the Crown and the High Court work through our applications via this legislation which has been forced upon us; a legislation which we clearly do not agree with.