Friday, 7 December 2018
For immediate release
 
NGĀTIWAI ASK THE CROWN TO PAUSE HAURAKI SETTLEMENTS
 
On Friday the 9th of November, the Waitangi Tribunal granted an Urgent Hearing into the controversial Crown overlapping claims process.
 
The Ngātiwai Trust Board, on behalf of their people, submitted an application to the Waitangi Tribunal on the 24th of July 2017 to ask the Tribunal to look into the Crown’s flawed processes and redress offered in dealing with the Hauraki Settlements that were signed in August this year.
 
Recently the Ngātiwai Trust sent a letter to Treaty Settlements Minister, Hon. Andrew Little, requesting confirmation that the Hauraki Settlements are paused.
 
Ngātiwai Treaty Claims Committee Chairman, Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards says “We have asked the Crown to confirm that they have put a pause on the Hauraki Settlements while our claims are being heard under urgency by the Waitangi Tribunal.”
 
“As a result of this inquiry we would expect that no further steps are taken by the Crown to advance any of the Hauraki settlements involved until the Waitangi Tribunal has completed the inquiry and presented their report.”
 
“We would like to acknowledge the Waitangi Tribunal for granting this hearing to Ngātiwai and the five other mandated iwi groups who also sought to be heard by the Tribunal.”
 
“Some of our whānau that have logged their own individual applications for urgency unfortunately had their requests dismissed.   We encourage them to work with our team to ensure their voices are still heard.”
 
“Through the hearing process we hope that the Tribunal can give some definitive recommendations on an improved process consistent with tikanga and what mana whenua and ahikaa means and how that impacts on the Crown’s behaviour and decisions.”
 
“We want to be clear that this claim is against the Crown, as we all know that the iwi of Hauraki have been caught up in this flawed process which has strained our long standing relationships that we have always valued.”
 
“For us we have always sought to have a genuine tikanga process for resolving these matters and still firmly believe that once we get through the hearings, this will be the only way to resolve these matters.”
 
“Once these Hearings are completed, we would then look forward to further discussions with Hauraki negotiators and the Crown.”
 

ENDS
 
Contacts:      Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards, Chairman Ngātiwai Trust Board Treaty Claims Committee
                        Phone:  09 430 0939
                        E-mail:  aperahama.edwards@Ngātiwai.iwi.nz
                       
                        Barry Caldwell, Communications Advisor Ngātiwai Trust Board
                        Phone:  021 728 291
                        Email: barry.caldwell@Ngātiwai.iwi.nz