Te Ao Māori

Five upper North Island iwi on road to redress

17:46 pm on 25 May 2013

Five iwi in the Hauraki Gulf and eastern Coromandel are to push ahead with their Treaty settlement.

The Marutuahu iwi collective has signed a record of agreement with the Crown.

The group comprises Ngati Maru, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Tamatera, Ngati Whanaunga and Te Patukirikiri.

There are plans to transfer several reserves and a portion of state-owned forest land to a new tribal entity.

Financial redress will be worth $30 million - and it will be left to the collective to sort out how much each iwi will receive.

Under the agreement, the iwi will seek the right to buy selected Crown properties on Waiheke Island and in Maunga Whau or Mount Eden.

Between now and the initialling of a deed of settlement, both parties will explore returning other land of cultural significance to the tribes.

Talks will include plans to transfer up 13 secondary and primary schools sites, which would be leased back to the Ministry of Education.

The Government will also issue an apology for Treaty breaches.