Category Archives: Settlement Bill Threads

Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa Trust Board receives ultimatum from Minister Christopher Finlayson

The Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa Trust Board has received an ultimatum letter from Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Christopher Finlayson. In his letter he encourages the Trust Board to meet with those dissatisfied with the proposed Treaty settlement and to include them directly in the process, if not then he would have to re-assess whether a settlement is still possible.

As the mandated enity it is the Trust Board’s responsibility to communicate with its claimant community – FAILED

As the mandated enity it is the Trust Board’s responsibility to communicate with its claimant community; however to date they have failed to do so. With only 80 people attending the 6 consultation hui, but yet the Trust Board have spent $603,000 worth of OTP funds trying to do so.

So here we are at an impasse; although the Minister of Maori Affairs has advised, “It is the mandated entity’s responsibility to communicate with its claimant community”, the entity refuses to communicate openly and freely. The Governments AIP offer is publically available; all of the funding details are publically available; the NKKWTB deed is publically available; but the entity still refuses to communicate openly.

I must admit I’m perplexed; I can’t see how the government expects the land claim process to succeed unless they can convince the Trust Board to openly communicate.

What is the Post Settlement Governance Entity?

32.  What is the Post Settlement Governance Entity?

Trust Board Reply:

The Post Settlement Governance Entity is the organisation that will receive any assets that form the Treaty settlement. That organisation must be elected and appointed by the Iwi who are registered for that Claim. The PSGE must meet rigorous standards set by the Crown, around governance, legal status, constitutional requirements, representations, transparency and accountability.

Why are the Land claims only for lands in the areas of Taemaro and Waimahana?

28.  Why are the Land claims only for lands in the areas of Taemaro and Waimahana?

Trust Board Reply:

The WAI 116 Treaty Claim includes all the rohe of Ngātikahu ki Whangaroa, which is 50,000 acres. This amount of land was used in the calculation of the ‘quantum’, the amount that the Crown would give back to the tribe. The lands around Taemaro and Waimahana are less than 25,000 acres. However, the majority of land that the Crown controls and can return to the Iwi is around Taemaro, Waimahana and Ranfurly Reserve.