Yesterday the Waitangi Tribunal released its report on the ‘urgent’ claim of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust, filed in July 2011.[1] The report, entitled Matua Rautia, is circa 340 pages, with a further 100 pages of annexes. Overall the Tribunal finds in favour of the claimants who had alleged multiple
Day: October 23, 2012
On Monday the Government confirmed that it would proceed with the partial sale of Mighty River Energy, and would not proceed with the ‘Shares’ Plus’ option proposed by the Waitangi Tribunal, in its interim report on Māori water and geothermal energy interests. (The proposal of the Tribunal was that iwi
On 11 October the Government released ‘The white paper for Vulnerable Children’. A white paper is a formal and final policy position paper. This document is thirty pages, although produced with it is a second volume (essentially a 170 paper literature review), and a 16-page summary of the key concepts,
This week Te Rūnanga o Ngāpuhi agreed to reconsider a report by the Crown mediator, Tukoroirangi Morgan, on means to resolve on-going mandating disputes. The rūnanga had earlier this month rejected the mediator’s recommendations that the two parties need a new approach to working together, and a different representative model.
In addition to the above policy announcement, on Wednesday the Government made a second announcement in relation to partial share sales. Namely that iwi who have yet to settle historic Treaty claims will have the opportunity to purchase ‘on-account’ shares in the power-companies that are being partially privatised. Important points
Last week the Waitangi Tribunal declined a Ngāti Kahu application for an urgent Tribunal hearing against the Treaty settlements being proposed respectively for Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa and Ngāi Takoto. The Tribunal found that such a hearing would cause undue delays to the other iwi, and that Ngāti Kahu had
On 2 October Ngāti Hineuru (Eastern North Island) signed an Agreement in Principle to settle historic Treaty grievances with the Crown. The agreement includes financial redress of $25 million plus interest, and the return of culturally significant properties such as Tarawera Hot Springs Scenic Reserve. The agreement also includes a
Northland hapu Te Uri o Hau have negotiated to sell 230 hectares of mainly coastal land to an American buyer. If the sale goes ahead part of the land will be developed into an international Golf Course. The lands were returned to Te Uri o Hau as a part of
Last Friday Associate Minister of Housing, Tariana Turia, announced policy changes to the Kāinga Whenua loan scheme. Changes include: expanding the loan scheme to all individual borrowers assessed as able to service a mortgage, not just first homebuyers; revised income cap levels for borrowers from $85,000 to $120,000 for one