Te Arawa iwi Ngāti Rangitihi is one step closer to a treaty settlement of more than $11 million.
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Andrew Little and Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust chair and lead negotiator Leith Comer at the signing of the Deed of Settlement. Photo: Supplied
The Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today.
Ngāti Rangitihi grievances include large areas of land taken from them by the Crown for Public Works and not being given sufficient land in the aftermath of the Tarawera eruption.
The Crown also failed to act in good faith when it leased and purchased blocks of Ngāti Rangitihi land blocks.
If the bill becomes law, Ngāti Rangitihi will receive $4m in financial redress and $7m in commercial redress, and have 19 sites of cultural significance returned to them.
Minister for Treaty Negotiations Andrew Little apologised on behalf of the Crown.
"The Crown acknowledges it breached its Treaty obligations when it failed to protect the tribal structures of Ngāti Rangitihi, failed to always act in good faith when purchasing and leased Ngāti Rangitihi land blocks, failed to protect Ngāti Rangitihi from becoming virtually landless," he said in the House.
He said he hoped through the settlement the Crown could "atone for its past injustices that it has inflicted on Ngāti Rangitihi".