Ihumātao deal closed: $ 30 million government deal to buy the land

The government is buying the land in Ihumātao from Fletchers for $ 30 million. Some of it will be used for housing, and the deal could eventually be owned by tangata whenua.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced the deal today, saying that an agreement (He Pūmautanga) had also been signed between Kīngitanga, the Crown and the Auckland Council to decide on the future of the land.

That deal would mean that the 33 hectares were bought and maintained by the Crown under the Government’s housing program, but it would also allow the land to become the property of Tangata whenua once its future was discussed.

The Crown has specifically ruled out the use of the land for Treaty settlements.

The land has been occupied by tangata whenua trying to stop a housing development for the past four years.

Housing Minister Megan Woods said the houses could be a mix of papakainga, mana whenua and some public housing.

“There is a need for housing to support the kaumatua and kuia of this place and this agreement recognizes that,” said Woods.

The agreement establishes that the purchase of the land for housing “will not limit future discussions and decisions to be taken and implemented in relation to the use and ownership of the land … through the whakahaere roopu [steering group] process.”

Those talks are expected to last up to five years.

The Maori king, King Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, has given his blessing to the deal. His spokesman, Rahui Papa, said it was done in a way that was outside the treaty settlement process.

“After more than 160 years of alienation from Ihumātao, the descendants of the original owners will reconnect with their whenua.”

Dad said there would be a variety of views on Ihumātao, but the most important was a peaceful and legal agreement between the parties concerned that would put a historical grievance in order.

One of the main concerns of those opposed to the government buyout was that it would undermine the “complete and final” treaty settlement process and potentially set a precedent for others to re-litigate.

The agreement includes a specific clause stating that all parties agreed that it does not constitute a settlement of historic claims under the Treaty, “and it is not the intention of the Crown to allow whenua to be available for settlement of Treaty claims, either that exists now or arises in the future. “

Robertson said that in addition to housing, part of the land would be used to recognize cultural and heritage values.

Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson said it was an important step for the Ihumātao mana whenua.

A steering committee would include three representatives from Ahi Kaa (those with ties to the land) supported by the Kīngitanga, one representative from the Kīngitanga, and two representatives from the Crown. The Auckland Council would have an observer.

There have been successive attempts to try to resolve the standoff over Ihumātao since tangata whenua moved into it in late 2016 to block Fletcher’s proposed housing development.

They had argued that the land was of cultural, historical and archaeological importance, and should be protected as a public space or returned to mana whenua.

In 2019, Ardern said the government would not intervene, but then promised that no new buildings would be built while the government tried to negotiate a solution.

Labor efforts were blocked by NZ First, which opposed using taxpayer money for it.

NZ First leader Winston Peters revealed that he had warned Ardern that it was a trust issue for him – a warning that he could topple the government.

National has also opposed the use of taxpayer money for land, arguing that it risked reopening the “full and final” treaty settlement process.

Ihumātao is believed to be one of the earliest places in Auckland where the Maori settled and cultivated.

It was confiscated in the 1860s and sold to private property in 1869.

The first Maori king was crowned at Ihumātao.

The occupants moved in at the end of 2016 and the Kīngitanga joined them in August 2019, raising their flag at the site and taking a leading role in negotiations with the Government.

‘Intrusion of private property rights’

Taxpayers shouldn’t spend $ 30 million on the deal, National Finance spokesman Michael Woodhouse said.

“Taxpayers are not a bank to turn to to clean up bad government decisions, particularly when it interferes with private property rights.

“The Prime Minister should never have been involved in the Ihumātao dispute and taxpayers should not bail her out now,” he said.

“The ramifications of this Crown deal go far beyond the missed opportunity to build homes right away. It will call into question all final and full treaty agreements and set a dangerous precedent for other land occupations, such as that of Shelly Bay in Wellington.