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The leader of the Ihumātao protest, Pania Newton, is celebrating today’s land agreement with the Government, but is not convinced by his housing proposals.
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Government officials are eager to see some type of home on the land after buying it for nearly $ 30 million. Source: 1 NEWS
Government officials are eager to see some type of home on the land after buying it for nearly $ 30 million.
Newton spoke to the media after the announcement of the deal today.
“I am very proud of our whānau and of everyone who came to support our kaupapa for many years.
“I have been experiencing mixed feelings since I received the news, so I am still a bit processing. I am happy, but sad at the same time that it has taken so long. And some of us who started this kaupapa have now passed away, so it’s sad to think in that “.
Newton says he is looking forward to celebrating this achievement with his whānau and marae and is looking forward to the next stage.
When asked about the great interest of the government in continuing to have some form of housing on the land, she was not so enthusiastic.
“We are not necessarily interested in housing. We may be interested in improving the existing housing footprints in this whenua, but again our whānau have not had a chance to discuss what kind of aspirations they have for the whenua.
“I am sure we will achieve this in the next stages, but for us most of the conversations have revolved around preserving this cultural heritage landscape.”
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The Prime Minister says she heard many different points of view on what the land should be used for. Source: 1 NEWS
National MP Michael Woodhouse took aim at the government after today’s announcement, saying that the Labor Party had “opened the floodgates by paying the protesters.”
“The ramifications of this deal with Crown go far beyond the missed opportunity to build houses right away. It will call into question all final and complete treaty agreements and set a dangerous precedent for other land occupations, such as Shelly Bay in Wellington.
“More than 20,000 Kiwi families are on the waiting list for a home this Christmas. The government shouldn’t spend $ 30 million to stop the construction of 480 much-needed homes right now, “Woodhouse says.
The government announced today that it will purchase the land in Ihumātao from the Fletcher Building, the first step in resolving the dispute over the disputed land in South Auckland.
More than a year after Save Our Unique Landscape, a protest group known by its acronym SOUL, occupied the land and claimed mana whenua, Kīngitanga, the Crown and the Auckland Council signed a binding memorandum of understanding (He Pūmautanga).
Housing Minister Megan Woods said the land will be purchased for $ 29.9 million under the Housing Land Program, with the intention of avoiding problems with the Waitangi Treaty settlement process.
The government would buy the land with the proposal that it be used for housing. But a steering committee (rōpū whakahaere) would ultimately decide what the land would be used for.
The group would be composed of three representatives of the ahi kā (the occupants), a representative of Kīngitanga and two representatives of the Crown. The Auckland Council will act as an observer.
Woods said the signatories would agree on the exact type and number of houses to be developed. This may include mana whenua housing, public housing, and papakāinga housing.
“It will be a sensitive development that recognizes the special characteristics of the terrain,” he said.
“There is a need for housing to support kaumātua and kuia from this place and this agreement recognizes that.”
In 2014, Fletcher Building purchased the land with the intention of building 480 homes in partnership with local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki.
However, a separate group claiming mana whenua from the land occupied Ihumātao and those plans were suspended in July last year.
King Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII visited Ihumātao in August last year and raised his spirits as a symbol of peace and unity. He offered to facilitate discussions between mana whenua, who agreed that they wanted their lands back.
Ihumātao is a sacred site for the Maori. There is archaeological evidence of horticulture, gardening, and established community life dating back to the 16th century.
An outline of the MOU (He Pūmautanga) between Kīngitanga, the Crown and the Auckland Council:
A steering committee, known as rōpū whakahaere, would be formed to decide on the future use of the land. This could include housing and conservation. I would also consider future land ownership options.
The Crown will negotiate with Fletcher Building to enter into a sales agreement to acquire the land in Ihumātao for housing purposes. Once acquired, the land would not be transferred to a third party unless agreed to by all parties.
The agreement would not constitute a historic claims settlement under the Waitangi Treaty Law, and the land is not intended to be available to resolve existing or future treaty claims.
The Kīngitanga will act as an intermediary between the three parties
