Raukawa Trust Board Treaty Claims Update April 28, 2009
Pānui 10
Chairman’s Report
Nā George Rangitutia
E mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa ngā uri o Raukawa. He mihi mahana ki a koutou. When I first took up my tenure as Chairperson of the Raukawa Trust Board we were not yet engaged in any settlement negotiations with the Crown nor had we confirmed with the Waitangi Tribunal that they would come to our area to investigate the breaches that have occurred to ngā uri o Raukawa. Now, two short years later, we are poised to receive the first of our historical settlements from the Central North Island Forest Settlement. The impact of this settlement is hard to comprehend however we must ensure that our people have the opportunity to provide direction for the use of this asset and that we protect and grow this asset for the benefit and survivability of our future generations. I would therefore encourage all descendants of Raukawa who are part of this momentous settlement to attend one of the hui being held around the country. River discussions continue with the Crown, who is taking a little more time than anticipated to come to grips with our Comanagement Draft Deed of Settlement. We expect however to sign this Deed so that we can begin the real work of focussing on the health and wellbeing of our awa.
In This Edition
We are currently undergoing a review of our entire organisation in conjunction with the Kaumātua Kaunihera and the Raukawa Claimant Committee (RCC) so that our new organisation can work more effectively for you. Amongst other questions, we have asked ourselves who might be responsible for the financial decisions of the Board in the future, what shape the Governance Board might take and what types of benefits should flow back to our people. Again I am pleased to note that in this pānui the Board is able to highlight the achievements of some of its other business units. I particularly want to acknowledge the work of the Te Reo team for their efforts in staging a very professional Kura Reo. Me mau tonu tātou ki te reo o ngā tūpuna Nā reira, kia tau ngā manaakitanga o Te Atua ki runga i a tātou. Mauriora ki a tātou katoa.
Ngā mihi ki a….
Waikato River Co Management Negotiations
Page 2
Comprehensive Negotiations
Page 2
Central North Island Forest Settlement
Page 3
Raukawa Trust Board Restructure Hui
Page 4
Raukawa Research Programme
Page 5
Guardians Establishment Committee
Page 6
Operations
page 7
Contact Details
page 8
1|P ag e
I would like to acknowledge our community partners for their support of our Co-management regime and in particular our Mayor Neil Sinclair. Tēnā hoki koe e te rangatira.
Tāmati Pēni – recipient of membership into Waikato Universities Golden Key Club for academic excellence Dr Michael Cullen – Final valedictory speech delivered in parliament. Tēnā koe e te rangatira. His Worship the Mayor Neil Sinclair – for his support and understanding during the river co-management negotiations
Waikato River Co-Management Negotiations You will all be wondering where the River Negotiations have got to over the past few months. Essentially, things have been very quiet as the new Government has come in, and got up to speed with all the Agreements on the Waikato River. At a meeting with the Minister on March 20th the Negotiators were advised that Cabinet wished to undertake an independent review of the proposed Co-Management Agreements. The Minister advised us that the Crown was and is committed to Co-Management, however he wished to understand more fully whether the proposed model offered the most effective and efficient way of achieving comanagement. The Crown appointed its review panel early in April, and as part of its deliberations we meet with the panel to discuss the Raukawa expectations and aspirations of the CoManagement regime and our views about the current arrangements. We are now waiting to hear the outcomes of the review.
Comprehensive Negotiations We are currently engaged in pre-negotiations with the Crown. This work involves identifying Crown owned lands within the Raukawa rohe that may be used for settlement redress, drafting our Historical Account and considering our commercial and cultural package. This work is currently being undertaken by the Raukawa Trust Board with support from the Raukawa Claimant Committee and is due for completion by July 2009. In August it is envisaged that we will then be ready to begin negotiations with an aim to reach an Agreement in Principle by early 2010. This work plan will only stay on track if the current government does not further delay settlement negotiations. The current Minister and his colleagues are in the process of receiving submissions on how to better streamline the negotiations process and Raukawa will be providing some advice to the Minister in this area. 2|P ag e
Nā Steph O’Sullivan
The Minister will discuss the outcomes with us, as the Crown restarts the direct negotiations process. The Treaty Team will continue to ensure that we protect the critical aspects of the current settlement, whilst looking to ensure that we establish a comanagement framework that will work for us and for future generations. In the meantime, we have continued to develop a work programme and regular communication with the Department of Conservation, Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry of Arts Culture and Heritage around the Raukawa Ministerial Accords. We are also participating in other legislation and policy changes which are related to our Treaty Settlements, such as the proposed RMA reforms, LTCCP submissions, and the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management.
Nā Chris McKenzie The Raukawa Claimant Committee continues to meet on a monthly basis to provide support to the negotiations team. The subcommittees of the RCC include Post Settlement Governance Entity (P.S.G.E), Commercial and cultural redress, Research and Communications. The RCC committee is made up of claimants and marae representatives. Your marae representative will be able to give you further information on any of the issues discussed in this pānui. Mapping sites of significance and cross referencing these sites with sites of Crown owned land will better equip us to make important decisions about what lands might be culturally appropriate to have returned.
CNI Update
Nā Chris McKenzie
July 1st, 2009 will be a historic date for Raukawa, it will signal the end of one challenge and the beginning of another. On July 1st the transfer of 176,000 hectares of Crown Forest Lands and approximately $223,000,000 in accumulated rentals will be transferred to the eight Central North Island Iwi to resolve their outstanding forest claims. The Raukawa Trust Board has undergone a review of its Governance, Operations and Commercial entities to prepare for the settlement. A range of hui will be held to discuss the recommendations put forward by the Review specialists. Many questions lie ahead of us as we understand that as part of the Collective we are the largest forestry owners in the country and many decisions need to be made to ensure that the assets returned are protected, grown and will benefit ngā uri o Raukawa. It is imperative that you are all involved at every step of this decision making process.
ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS What is coming back now? Cash - If the Raukawa Trust Board has set up a Crown approved Post Settlement Governance Entity by the 30th of June this year the Raukawa Trust Board will receive approximately $31,690,000.00 in cash.
Mechanisms – RFR’s and DSP’s these are mechanism that enable iwi to purchase surplus Crown Land. Further explanations of these mechanisms are provided in the new attached CNI newsletter “Te Mania”
Rentals – Every year for the next 35 years (assuming that the trees are replanted) Raukawa will receive 14.2125% of the rental income. This is estimated to be $1,765,193.00 p.a
What is left? Land – Raukawa will undergo a manawhenua process to identify what land interests Raukawa have in the CNI forests.
What other opportunities are there for us? Forestry Management - In order to maintain a rental income from the Central North Island Forestry estate an opportunity has arisen to invest in a forest management company. Energy – The CNI Discovery team have identified investment opportunities in Geothermal Energy Production
3|P ag e
Carbon Farming - The CNI Discovery team have identified investment opportunities in carbon farming if the Emissions Trading Scheme is supported by the current government. Further details of these Investment opportunities are outlined in the booklet “E Kiwi”
CNI Update
…continued
Raukawa Trust Board Restructure As a result of the C.N.I settlement assets being returned to Raukawa on the 1st July 2009, the Raukawa Treaty Team have been engaged in a review process to review all aspects of the Board to ensure Crown compliance and to future proof the organisation for this significant growth. The review has been undertaken in conjunction with the Raukawa Claimant P.S.G.E subcommittee. The review has focussed on the following four areas. Governance Review Team: Andrew Paul, Trevor Himona, Chris McKenzie, Baden Vertongen, Kathryn Sharp (Kensington Swan Law), George Rangitutia and Cheryl Pakuru. This work has focussed on what has worked well for the Raukawa Trust Board in the past and what needs to be improved upon. The impacts of the C.N.I settlement have meant that a number of changes have been suggested including a new trustee governance structure, a new vision and strategy, distribution of assets to uri process, Land and asset management process. Tax and Structuring Led by Chris McKenzie, Selwyn Hayes (Ernst and Young), George Rangitutia, Baden Vertongen and Frances Wedde (Kensington Swan Law) This work has focussed on identifying a Crown compliant, cost effective entity to receive the settlement assets that is Crown compliant, flexible enough to be able to deliver to uri and offers the best tax structure.
Operations Review Led by Chris McKenzie, Dickie Farrar, Baden Vertongen and Frances Wedde (Kensington Swan Law) This work has focussed on the implications of the settlement to the normal operations of the Raukawa Trust Board and the delivery of services. The Review has taken place to ensure minimal disruption to the Operations arm of the Raukawa Trust Board whilst focussing on how better to structure the operations of the board to achieve the Vision and Mission of the Board. Commercial Entity Review Led by Duncan Wylie, Paul Roberts, Naomi Aporo, Ray Greenwood (Ernst and Young) and Chris McKenzie This work has focussed on reviewing our current commercial entity RoTaB in order to ensure that the appropriate mechanisms are in place to provide for the growth of our assets and to ensure that those benefits flow back to our people.
The results of this review will inform the structures that will be put in place to manage and distribute these assets in the long term. To ensure that you have your say regarding these structures you are encouraged to attend one of the many hui being held around the rohe and around the country over the next few months or contact the Treaty Team directly for further
information. Endorsement Hui Dates Meeting Tokoroa Matamata Te Awamutu Auckland Wellington
4|P ag e
Date Tuesday 02 June Wednesday 04 June Thursday 03 June Saturday 06 June Sunday 07 June
Time 5.00pm 5:00pm 1.00pm 1:00pm 1:00pm
Venue Papa-o-te-Aroha, Mossop Rd, Tokoroa Ūkaipō Marae, Highway 29, Matamata Raukawa Trust Board, Ricket Road, Te Awamutu Mt Richmond Hotel & Conference, 676 Mt Wellington Highway, Otahuhu Quality Hotel, Cuba Street, Thorndon, Wellington
Research Update
Nā Nigel Te Hiko
Research for the Raukawa Treaty negotiations has been progressing at a steady pace since the last pānui with the completion of the phase one research reports. We are very pleased to announce the completion of the following reports “Raukawa Environmental Impacts and Waterways Report” by Dr Michael Belgrave and his Massey University Team, “Raukawa Crown Negotiations Report” by Suzanne Woodley and the “Stage One Sites of Significance Project” by Hannah Boast and Steve Richards. Steve has also been commissioned to complete the “Crown Asset Audit” for Raukawa that will provide enormous mapping support for our negotiations. Crown Forestry Rental Trust has received the draft “Raukawa Traditional History Report” by John Hutton and this is currently being reviewed. Professor Richard Boast although busy with the Crowns Foreshore and Seabed Review, has been commissioned to investigate the “Raukawa Confiscation, War and Raupatu Report” and he has completed his initial scoping report. His draft report is due in September 2009 and we are keenly awaiting his findings. We take this opportunity to thank our historians and all those who have contributed to the production of these reports. The reports are vital when entering into discussions with the Crown in regard to our Treaty settlements.
We also welcome on board, Dr Grant Young and Dr Michael Belgrave who returns to tackle the effects of the Native Land Courts upon Raukawa during the late 1800’s in the phase two research project “A Report on the Native Land Court Practice, Principles and Procedure”. We also welcome Peter McBurney and his research assistant Nathan Williams as they examine the “Public Works Takings” in the Raukawa rohe. Furthermore, Mrs Harriet Kennedy has received approval to research the Dilworth papers in her study of “James Dilworth Papers and Private Land Purchasing within the Raukawa Rohe”. We wish our researchers well. Project briefs and proposals are currently being drawn up for the “Raukawa War and Raupatu, Oral, Private and Māori Language Sources Project” that will support the War and Raupatu report through the collation, examination and abstraction of relevant information held in private Raukawa collections and Māori Newspapers. Also a proposal for a “Stage Two Traditional History Report” is in the process of preparation for consideration with the Crown Forestry Rental Trust.
Rohe Pōtae Update The research program in the Rohe Pōtae Inquiry continues to produce the following reports. Rohe Pōtae Reports
Waitangi Tribunal Reports
Leanne Boulton Dr Vincent O’Malley Phillip Cleaver and Jonathan Sarich Adam Heinz Dr Terry Hearn Dr Terry Hearn Heather Bassett and Richard Kaye Paul Thomas David Alexander Dr Michael Belgrave (Massey University) Cathy Marr
Draft Scoping Report: Land Alienations and Title Issues, 1840-1907 Draft Scoping Report: Te Rohe Pōtae Political Engagement, 1840-1863 Draft Scoping Report: Railways and Iwi/Hapū of the Rohe Pōtae Inquiry District 1880-2000
5|P ag e
Draft Scoping Report: Quantifying Māori Land Alienation in the Te Rohe Pōtae Inquiry District Scoping Report: Te Rohe Pōtae Land Issues post 1908 - circa2008 Scoping Report: Land Consolidation, Development and Returned Soldier Settlement Schemes in Te Rohe Pōtae Scoping Report: Te Rohe Pōtae Native Townships (1895-present) Scoping Report: Mokau-Mohakatino and Mohaka-Paraninihi Blocks Scoping Report: Public Works Takings in Te Rohe Pōtae Scoping Report: Harbours and Coasts, Inlands Waterways, Indigenous Flora and Fauna, Sites of Significance, Environmental Management, and Environmental Impacts Political Engagement and Rohe Potae Negotiations mid 1860’s – 1913
Research Update
…continued Taihape ki Kapiti
The Waitangi Tribunal held its first Judicial Conference at Raukawa Marae, Ōtaki. The Raukawa Trust Board’s Treaty Team Manager, Chris McKenzie, Research Manager Nigel Te Hiko, Negotiator Trevor Himona and Research Committee Chair Gloria Koia attended on our behalf. The purpose of their attendance was twofold namely to tono for a collaborative approach to research and also to maintain a watching brief on behalf of those living in the Raukawa rohe who maintain an interest in the new Inquiry district. For more information regarding this Judicial Conference please contact Nigel Te Hiko from the Treaty Team.
Guardians Establishment Committee - Update The Guardians Establishment Committee has been working closely with the Crown in order to progress the Scoping Study of the Waikato River, Waipa River and respective catchments. The Scoping Study was initiated as part of the Waikato Tainui Deed of Settlement. Its focus, as the first major piece of research in a long time, perhaps ever, is to understand all of the issues facing the Waikato River Catchment and possible scenarios for understanding how to clean up the River. It is expected that the parties who will carry out the Study will be announced shortly, and work on the research is expected to start as soon as possible. As part of the study, Raukawa uri will be involved in meetings to discuss our views on issues relating to the River. These meetings will take place in the near future, and this is our opportunity to have our views recorded and used as part of the wider study.
If you are interested in being involved in these meetings, please register your name and contact details with either Cheryl Pakuru or Pat Cowley at the Raukawa Trust Board on 07 885 0260. Or see bottom of this pānui for email addresses. The GEC has also been actively advocating for the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River, in submissions to the proposed RMA reforms, Environment Waikato’s Proposed LTCCP, and is taking a watching brief on a range of other issues at this time. The Committee is also working on a communications strategy so that we may continue to build relationships within the Waikato community, advocate for the Vision and Strategy and provide leadership on key related issues. The Committee continues to work positively and constructively together in way in which I believe shows outstanding leadership and role models the spirit of comanagement.
PURCHASE RAUKAWA APPAREL NOW FROM OUR LATEST RANGE INCLUDING A NEW RANGATAHI SELECTION PAY BY DIRECT CREDIT , CHEQUE, PAYPAL OR IN PERSON TO THE RTB CONTACT AROHA RIKI-HAMANA (07) 885 0260, KAHU.REO@RAUKAWA.ORG.NZ
CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE www.raukawa.org.nz 6|P ag e
VISIT: TE WHĀRIKI MOKO O TOKOROA 59 BRIDGE STREET
Operations As a management team the operations of the Raukawa Trust Board still continue in light of the changes that are occurring in the Treaty Claims area. The significant amount of work that has occurred across business units can be seen by the achievements of managers and those at service delivery level, and in this pānui I would like to touch briefly on three of these. Bernice Kāponga who is the manager for the whānau ora team as well as the social development team has worked with her team on a number of new initiatives such as our “Every 1’s a Winner” program. This is a 12 week project focussed on lifestyle changes. We currently have 21 people registered onto this program. Each participant is monitored for their RHR (Resting Heart Rate) and W.I. (weigh in) and there is an activity hour every Wednesday night. K.C. Maaka, Public Health Facilitator, highlights that the program is not a weight loss program, but promotes lifestyle changes through nutrition and activity. The team have also been active over the summer school holidays providing a very successful holiday program. Led by School based co-ordinators Lucky Manu and Vanessa Palea, the program centred around activity based education and included dancing, indoor games such as basketball, dodge ball , 4 square, swimming and a hīkoi to name a few. Also included was a sun smart program, water safety and encouraging the rangatahi to participate in creative activities Rangatahi Health co-ordinators, Kathleen Ellis and Turuhira Wirihana have held promotions in and around Tokoroa and Putaruru around health issues. They delivered education programs around nutrition, physical activity, Oral Health, Asthma and Smoking Cessation in the rohe. Sexual Health education programs continue to be provided with positive feedback received. The Sexual Health brochures and flyers have been widely received with positive reports back from external providers and rangatahi. The Well-Child Service also has had a very busy first quarter with new referrals being received weekly (at times daily). The team consisting of May Thomas, Bonnie Hireme and
7|P ag e
Nā Dickie Farrar Doreen Flavell have worked hard to maintain a high standard of service delivery. Mama Moeroa Maea, PPP Facilitator, continues to support whānau to enrol their children into a preferred Early Childhood Education Service. This has been an important service in supporting whānau to develop building blocks that will enhance their children’s early childhood education. The Family Start team are also hard at work supporting whānau throughout Putaruru despite these tough economic times. The closure of the Putaruru Sawmill and the subsequent impact on job vacancies within the rohe has had an impact on our service also. The Family Start team of Toya Marsden, Darling Joyce, Michele Martin and Petrina Peni extend their warmest wishes to those whānau that are seeking new opportunities. Ruth McCorkindale, Oral Health Coordinator, has also been working hard in the area of Oral Health. It has been a very busy time for her and she has been able to deliver education programs to various Kōhanga Reo, ECC and Pūnanga Reo throughout the rohe. Lyn Mott along with Marion Brown have been working very hard developing the housing strategy. They have secured another contract for the housing insulation program that will see us working with more people in our communities providing insulation to homes. This program was a carry on of the housing program that occurred in 2008 as a result of a comprehensive survey that we initiated. We would also like to acknowledge the partnerships that have been developed between the Waikato District Health Board, the South Waikato District Council, and South Waikato Pacific Island Health Committee. To date we have approximately 90 homes to complete by end of June with the next number of homes to be confirmed after June. I would also like to acknowledge Charlie Tepana and his team for another fantastic outcome in the Te Reo area. The success of the week long Kura Reo took an incredible amount of work to plan and implement. Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa.
Important Dates 13 – 16 May 2009
GIS Conference, Christchurch
14 May 2009
Tariana Turia, Foreshore and Seabed Discussions, Treaty Office, Raukawa Trust Board, 26-32 Campbell Street, Tokoroa
22 May 2009
Rohe Pōtae Research Hui, Glenview International Hotel, 254 Ohaupo Rd, Hamilton
Contact Details For further information please do not hesitate to contact our Treaty Team at the Trust Board: Phone (07) 8850260, Fax (07) 8850261 or email cheryl.pakuru@raukawa,org.nz Raukawa Website www.raukawa.org.nz
Treaty Team Members: Chris McKenzie
Stephanie O’Sullivan
Nigel TeHiko
Lead Negotiator
Negotiator
Research Coordinator
Patricia Cowley
Ngawinika Mott
Cheryl Pakuru
Project Manager
Finances
Project Manager
Phyllis Tahere
Trevor Himona
Waiora Watene
Research Staff/GIS
Negotiator
Administration staff
8|P ag e