Heretaunga Tamatea sign treaty settlement

Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson

The Crown has signed a Deed of Settlement with Heretaunga Tamatea at Te Aute College in Central Hawke's Bay, settling the iwi's historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

The settlement provides acknowledgements, an apology and redress for the Crown's past actions and omissions, including large scale land purchasing that left Heretaunga Tamatea virtually landless, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson, who represented the government at the signing, said in a statement today.

"We can never fully compensate Heretaunga Tamatea for the Crown's past breaches of the Treaty but this settlement gives the iwi a good base for a strong cultural and economic future," Mr Finlayson said.

The settlement includes the purchase of Kaweka and Gwavas Crown Forest land with Ahuriri Hapū. Cultural redress such as the vesting of sites, statutory acknowledgments and deeds of recognition over sites of historical, cultural and spiritual significance to Heretaunga Tamatea is also provided.

"This is a $100 million settlement for Heretaunga Tamatea. There is a further $5 million for investment in Te Aute College," Mr Finlayson said. "Heretaunga Tamatea effectively hold this money on trust as the sustainable future of Te Aute is for the benefit of all Māori.

"One only has to read the list of Te Aute's notable alumni to discover what an immense contribution this school has made to Māori and New Zealand as a whole," Mr Finlayson said.

Heretaunga Tamatea has a population of approximately 15,900. Its area of interest extends from southern Napier to Takapau in the Central Hawke's Bay.