Hapu prepare for Treaty settlements

Pita Tipene

A desire to become self-reliant has a number of Whangarei Ngapuhi hapu rallying together to prepare for Treaty settlements.

Nga Hapu Whai Paanga Ki Whangarei will be meeting for the second time since May to form structures and processes for Ngapuhi Treaty settlements.

Pita Tipene said the group was formed after some Whangarei hapu realised they were not prepared to negotiate with the Crown.

"If Chris Finlayson was to turn around and say 'righto, we are going to have a Whangarei-based settlement, are you ready, have you got structures in place?' Right now the answer would be no."

Mr Tipene said hapu indicated they wanted self-governance and while Treaty settlement was not the main goal - it would help to achieve this.

"We will be presenting to the people and saying here's a vehicle we think can take us forward, let's get this thing moving."

Tuhoronuku, the group given mandate to negotiate Ngapuhi Treaty claims, signed the Treaty settlement terms of negotiation by Ngapuhi and the Crown at the end of May.

Mr Tipene, who is chairman of Te Kotahitanga, the group which opposes Tuhoronuku, said he was confident the Waitangi Tribunal would urge the Crown and Tuhoronuku to stop Treaty negotiations but said either way hapu would need to be prepared.

"The flip-side is Tuhoronuku is based on five sub-regions anyway ..."

The group will meet at Terenga Paraoa Marae, Whangarei from 5 to 8.30pm this Friday.