Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Bill

I wish only to briefly address certain matters in Supplementary Order Paper 112. They arise out of some of the discussions that the committee had when the bill was before the Māori Affairs Committee. The bill had its first reading on 4 November last year, and was considered by the committee earlier this year. It has since required some minor technical amendments to a number of clauses and schedule 3, so let me go through the Supplementary Order Paper.

First, there is an amendment to clause 11 of the bill, which extends the time required to implement it from 20 days to 40 days. This will assist both iwi and Government departments in completing the paperwork required to implement the bill. Secondly, new clause 80A requires an amendment to provide that the Te Kawerau ā Maki post-settlement governance entity is to be treated as the grantor of interests that are not interests in the land in relation to Te Hēnga site B and Parihoa site A. This will provide for the iwi to assume the roles and responsibilities of the grantor when the land is transferred to it.

Finally, I refer you to clause 64, where an amendment is required in schedule 3 of the bill in relation to the Te Hēnga site B, to provide for a right of way easement for the benefit of certain third parties—registered utilities easements—and to include two existing unregistered concessions. An amendment is also required to schedule 3 in relation to the Parihoa site A, to include two unregistered concessions. I am sure the members of the Māori Affairs Committee, and the Committee generally, will be interested to know that the Te Hēnga neighbours will be granted utility easements for 30 years plus 30 years by the Department of Conservation. In addition, Te Kawerau ā Maki will provide a right-of-way easement for an initial term of 60 years to the Te Hēnga neighbours, and that will followed by rolling tranches of 30 years. I want to acknowledge the iwi and the neighbours for their constructive and pragmatic approach to this matter. I think it bodes very well for their ongoing neighbourly relationship.

Thank you for that clarification, Minister Finlayson. It certainly reaffirms some of the discussions in the Māori Affairs Committee, and we too are grateful for the constructive outcome regarding access provisions on the Te Hēnga site.

Minister, I foreshadowed in the last part of the debate that it would be my intention to question you further regarding the first rights provisions in so far as they relate to the Tāmaki Collective. Given the recent announcements and the clarifications that you yourself have given to assure those interests covered by the Tāmaki Collective in so far as the first rights of refusal provisions apply, I think that is a helpful clarification that will support and advance the intentions of the provisions in this Te Kawerau ā Maki claim. I am certainly mindful that the interests of Te Kawerau ā Maki within the Auckland isthmus need to be assured, and when I saw that particular statement I felt that although it was primarily directed for clarification to Ngāti Whātua, it does apply equally to all the iwi under the Tāmaki Collective settlement. So I thank you for that.

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 112 in the name of the Hon Christopher Finlayson to Part 1 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

Part 1 as amended agreed to.

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 112 in the name of the Hon Christopher Finlayson to Part 2 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

Part 2 as amended agreed to.

Part 3 agreed to.

Schedule 1 agreed to.

Schedule 2 agreed to.

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 112 in the name of the Hon Christopher Finlayson to schedule 3 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

Schedule 3 as amended agreed to.

Bill reported with amendment.

Report adopted.

Third Reading