Te Rūnanga-ā-Iwi o Ngāti Kahu
Land Claims Report for October 2014
1. Appeal to the Supreme Court on Te Ana o Taite – out of court settlement still being worked on
2. Ngāti Kahu Trust Board Litigation Against Ngāti Kahu Mortgage Services
3. Offer from Crown to fully and finally extinguish Ngāti Kahu’s claims
4. Te Paparahi o Te Raki hearings Week 10 Whangaroa 22-26 September
5. Progress towards publication of the Ngāti Kahu Deed of Partial Settlement
6. Judicial Review of the Waitangi Tribunal’s Report – hearing 22-24 June 2015
7. Government Legislating to Steal Ngāti Kahu’s Forestry Rentals
8. National Iwi Chairs Forum, 26-27 November 2014, Tauranga Moana
9. Report back on Constitutional Transformation project, Moana Jackson, 28 November 2014, Kareponia marae
Summary:
We have been finalising the out of court settlement with Carrington Jade and addressing a resource management issue.
It has been another quiet month on the Ngāti Kahu Trust Board out of court settlement.
A final decision on the Crown’s offer continues to await the response of several marae.
Week 10 of the hearings for Te Paparahi o Te Raki district considered claims in the Whangaroa area. We questioned several that overlap into our territories.
Amendments to our Deed of Partial Settlement continue to be worked on prior to sending off to the publisher.
Our application to the High Court for a judicial review of Waitangi Tribunal’s refusal to issue binding recommendations or to review the deeds of settlement of Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa and Ngāi Takoto has been set down for hearing for 22-24 June 2015.
We are arranging to meet with the Federation of Māori Authorities about the government moving to steal our forestry rentals.
The next National Iwi Chairs’ Forum hui will take place in Mt Maunganui on 26-27 November. On the day before the signing of the Māori Tū declaration and exhibition of the whatarangi to be gifted to the United Nations will take place at the NZ Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua.
Moana Jackson will report back on the development of a constitution based on tikanga, He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti at Karepōnia marae on 2pm Friday 28 November.
1. Appeal to the Supreme Court on Te Ana o Taite – out of court settlement being worked on
We are awaiting feedback from Carrington Jade’s lawyers on the out of court settlement agreement. I have continued to have discussions with Cliff Wan, marketing director for Carrington Jade, on resource management issues relating to the houses they are currently building. He wishes to retain our good relationship and has assured us that the resource consents for transferring excavated soils from the building site are being processed.
2. Ngāti Kahu Trust Board v Ngāti Kahu Mortgage Services Ltd
We are still waiting on the Trust Board’s response to the drafts we provided to complete the requirements for an out of court settlement.
3. Offer from Crown to fully and finally extinguish Ngāti Kahu’s claims
Several marae continue to indicate that they have not yet decided what to do about the Crown’s offer. Our CEO is visiting them to provide information on the offer.
4. Te Paparahi o Te Raki hearings Week 10 Whangaroa 22-26 September
Our Matarahurahu kuia attended these hearings at Ōtangaroa. Our lawyer cross examined those who gave evidence relating to Kohumaru, Kēnana, Mangōnui and Ōruru to ensure that claims did not wrongly stray into Ngāti Kahu territory.
5. Work on publication of the Ngāti Kahu Deed of Partial Settlement continues
Work on completing the final draft will pick up again in November to finish the Te Paatu and Tahaawai sections. Can people please get any further comments they wish to make in as soon as possible.
6. Judicial Review of the Waitangi Tribunal’s Report – on-going
The hearing for this in the High Court will take place on 22-24 June 2015. Work on preparation for that hearing has started.
7. Crown Legislating to Steal Ngāti Kahu’s Forestry Rentals
The meeting scheduled with Traci Houpapa (FOMA) for 8 October was postponed for some time in November.
8. National Iwi Chairs’ Forum, 26-27 November, Mt Maunganui, Tauranga Moana – 25 November, signing of Māori Tū Declaration, NZ Arts and Crafts Institute, Rotorua
This National Iwi Chairs’ Forum will be held on Wednesday and Thursday 26-27 November at BayPark, Mt Maunganui. Reports from the eleven Iwi Leaders’ Groups will be discussed on the first day. Various visitors will attend on the second day.
The day before the signing of the Māori Tū declaration will take place at Te Puia, the NZ Māori Arts and Crafts Institute at Whakarewarewa, Rotorua. This is a declaration of the Māori endorsement for the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We will also see the wooden whatarangi that has been carved and then cast in bronze to be gifted to the United Nations in New York.
9. Report back on Constitutional Transformation project, Moana Jackson, 28 November, Kareponia marae
Matike Mai Aotearoa, the Constitutional Transformation Working Group, is completing their work on developing a model for a constitution based on tikanga, He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni (1835) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840). Moana Jackson will present the group’s findings and recommendations for consideration by the whānau, hapū and iwi of Te Hiku o te Ika on Friday 28 November at 2pm at Karepōnia marae. This will be his only reporting back hui in our rohe so I encourage as many as are able to attend to do so. I will try to circulate the group’s report prior to that hui as soon as it becomes available. Please check with the office in case there is a change of date for the hui.
Professor Margaret Mutu
26 October 2014