$9.5m Treaty settlement signed

A Northland Maori group has received an apology, some land and $9.5 million in a Treaty of Waitangi settlement signed yesterday.

The settlement to Te Roroa, from Northern Wairoa and South Hokianga, includes: acknowledgements of, and a Crown apology for, historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles; a cultural redress package including the transfer of several sites of cultural significance to Te Roroa; and financial redress totalling $9.5 million, which Te Roroa will receive as a combination of Crown-owned properties and cash.

The settlement was supported by 92 per cent of those who voted and will be implemented through legislation during 2006.

Treaty Negotiations Minister Mark Burton said the signing of the deed of settlement followed its ratification by the people of Te Roroa during November and December 2005.

"Te Roroa and the Crown have been in negotiations over many years since the release of the Waitangi Tribunal's Te Roroa Report in 1992. The Te Roroa claim has often been viewed as a wahi tapu (sacred ground) claim, reflecting the number of significant cultural and archaeological sites across their rohe (territory)," Mr Burton said.

The claim has not been without controversy with National Party Northland MP John Carter earlier this year calling for the settlement to be delayed in order that historians investigate what was claimed to be new evidence about land ownership.

- NZPA