Te Arawa reveals vote over lakes deal | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua
Te Arawa reveals vote over lakes deal
By CHERIE TAYLOR in Rotorua
A historic deal between the Government and Te Arawa, settling more than a century's worth of grievances over Rotorua's lakes, looks set to be signed before Christmas.
The Te Arawa Maori Trust Board said yesterday 93 percent of those who voted on the deal had agreed to accept it, following a series of hui.
It would not say how many votes were actually cast.
The endorsement comes nearly a year after the trust board agreed to accept in principle a comprehensive package which includes the return of 13 of the region's lakebeds, a one-off lump sum of $10 million, an apology, and an increase in fishing licences.
The $10 million payout will be backdated to December last year.
The board has told members of the tribe it plans to invest the money, which it estimates will boost its coffers by at least $660,000 a year in interest payments.
At present, it receives an annuity of just $18,000 as part of a previous settlement agreed in 1922.
Trust board chairman Anaru Rangiheuea said yesterday the lakes deal was a significant achievement for Te Arawa and was the result of an "enormous amount of work" by many people over a long period of time.
Former chairman Arapeta Tahana also described the decision as a significant, historic step forward.
"I am very happy, especially for the old people who have talked about it and waited for years for this to be settled. Many of them had given up hope," he said.
"Naturally, in these cases people want to get what one feels they are entitled to but the negotiations have gone on with a fairly narrow envelope and Te Arawa have got the best outcome out of that envelope."
However, there was still a lot of work ahead, Mr Tahana said.
"I don't see this as the end. We have a much bigger journey to travel yet.
"It's important for us to have the lakes managed properly for the sake of everyone - not only Te Arawa," he said.
Rotorua Lakes Protection Society chairman Mike McVicker said he wasn't surprised by the result, but didn't think the deal should go ahead until the society's legal challenge had been decided.
The society is waiting for the High Court to rule whether it can challenge the deal on the grounds an agreement with the tribe has already been in force since 1922. Justice McKenzie reserved his decision last month.
Mr McVicker said he did not expect Parliament to pass the legislation before the end of the year.
The trust board is now waiting for the Government to confirm the ratification process and has tentative plans to hold a signing ceremony in the Tamatekapua meeting house, at Te Papaiouru Marae, Ohinemutu on December 18.
A spokeswoman for Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson confirmed a signing ceremony was expected to go ahead later this month.
The deal comes as the tribe is also slowly progressing towards settling grievances over huge chunks of land in the Central North Island.
Last weekend, it signed an agreement with the Government over the terms of negotiation for its massive Central North Island claim.
The claim, formerly known as the Volcanic Interior Plateau claim, includes hundreds of thousands of hectares of forestry land, as well as Taniwha Springs, Hamurana Springs and geothermal resources.
However, the Government's hopes of striking a single deal with the entire iwi have been dashed by the withdrawal of Te Arawa's largest tribe, Ngati Whakaue, from the process.
A historic deal between the Government and Te Arawa, settling more than a century's worth of grievances over Rotorua's lakes, looks set to be signed before Christmas.
The Te Arawa Maori Trust Board said yesterday 93 percent of those who voted on the deal had agreed to accept it, following a series of hui.
It would not say how many votes were actually cast.
The endorsement comes nearly a year after the trust board agreed to accept in principle a comprehensive package which includes the return of 13 of the region's lakebeds, a one-off lump sum of $10 million, an apology, and an increase in fishing licences.
The $10 million payout will be backdated to December last year.
The board has told members of the tribe it plans to invest the money, which it estimates will boost its coffers by at least $660,000 a year in interest payments.
At present, it receives an annuity of just $18,000 as part of a previous settlement agreed in 1922.
Trust board chairman Anaru Rangiheuea said yesterday the lakes deal was a significant achievement for Te Arawa and was the result of an "enormous amount of work" by many people over a long period of time.
Former chairman Arapeta Tahana also described the decision as a significant, historic step forward.
"I am very happy, especially for the old people who have talked about it and waited for years for this to be settled. Many of them had given up hope," he said.
"Naturally, in these cases people want to get what one feels they are entitled to but the negotiations have gone on with a fairly narrow envelope and Te Arawa have got the best outcome out of that envelope."
However, there was still a lot of work ahead, Mr Tahana said.
"I don't see this as the end. We have a much bigger journey to travel yet.
"It's important for us to have the lakes managed properly for the sake of everyone - not only Te Arawa," he said.
Rotorua Lakes Protection Society chairman Mike McVicker said he wasn't surprised by the result, but didn't think the deal should go ahead until the society's legal challenge had been decided.
The society is waiting for the High Court to rule whether it can challenge the deal on the grounds an agreement with the tribe has already been in force since 1922. Justice McKenzie reserved his decision last month.
Mr McVicker said he did not expect Parliament to pass the legislation before the end of the year.
The trust board is now waiting for the Government to confirm the ratification process and has tentative plans to hold a signing ceremony in the Tamatekapua meeting house, at Te Papaiouru Marae, Ohinemutu on December 18.
A spokeswoman for Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson confirmed a signing ceremony was expected to go ahead later this month.
The deal comes as the tribe is also slowly progressing towards settling grievances over huge chunks of land in the Central North Island.
Last weekend, it signed an agreement with the Government over the terms of negotiation for its massive Central North Island claim.
The claim, formerly known as the Volcanic Interior Plateau claim, includes hundreds of thousands of hectares of forestry land, as well as Taniwha Springs, Hamurana Springs and geothermal resources.
However, the Government's hopes of striking a single deal with the entire iwi have been dashed by the withdrawal of Te Arawa's largest tribe, Ngati Whakaue, from the process.
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