News and Resources on Waitara land rights and the Peace for Pekapeka Initiative
- Submissions to the Maori Affairs Select Committee Against the Waitara Lands Bill
- Diary - Peace for Pekapeka - September 2016 to March 2017
- back to ... Web Resources Directory - Peace for Pekapeka
Agreement signed off between council and two hapū ahead of new land law
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 10th March 2019
Rawiri Doorbar said the focus for his hapū had always been to get its land back. He said the formation of TKTM was about moving forward and it would give an ability to the hapū to acquire its own land, "even if we will have to buy it one acre at a time. We have to rebuild. This is the beginning of not fading away, this is the beginning of not disappearing."
Waitara Land Bill reaches milestone
(video) by Tema Hemi, Maori Television 10th March 2019
Rawiri Doorbar: None of the commissions or settlements have provided justice, none of them provided any tangible or real land whenua being returned. So for our collective for Manukorihi hapu and Otaraua hapu, we need to provide a place for our people to live moving into the future. Most of our whānau are renters and this land is being sold off from them.
Council and hapū ready for Waitara sell-off
(audio) Dale Husband interviews Jamie Tuuta chair of Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana Trust
Historic Waitara Lands Act ceremony at Owae Marae
Press Release from NPDC / Facebook Post
A signing ceremony took place at Owae Marae between Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana and the New Plymouth District Council on Saturday 9th March 2019. Pictured at the signing, Councillor Colin Johnston, Rawiri Doorbar, Mawhaturia White, Mayor Neil Holdem, Patsy Bodger, Cindy Zimmerman, Jamie Tuuta, Donna Eriwata, and Alice Doorbar.
New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom : "This agreement will be part of the engine that drives the implementation of the Waitara Lands Act; the way NPDC and the hapū will work together. Hapū leaders have worked tirelessly for their people over many decades to address this historic grievance which is a stain on New Zealand’s history. The Act isn’t perfect but it’s the best solution while ensuring NPDC meets its financial obligations to all of its 80,000 residents and at the same time laying a platform for the Waitara township to really thrive... "
TKTM Chair Jamie Tuuta: “Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana trust on behalf of the hapū is looking forward to working with NPDC over the coming months to realise the potential of the Act for the two hapū and the broader Waitara community. We have much work before us and are excited by the opportunity for Manukorihi and Otaraua.”
Why did the Crown support the Waitara Lands Bill when hapū weren’t all on board?
Opinion by Leonie Pihama, The Spinoff 11th January 2019
I have been asked on a number of occasions – why did Ōtaraua not support the Bill? The more accurate question is – why did the Crown support the Bill? And why have they alongside the New Plymouth District Council and the Taranaki Regional Council embedded another piece of legislation that further denies the rights of Ōtaraua hapū to say no to yet another act of dispossession of their lands?. We must also ask why no MPs within Labour, National or New Zealand First asked the critical questions about the withdrawal of Ōtaraua.
Waitara Deal Better Than None
(audio) interview with Dale Husband, Waatea Radio News 14 December 2018
Patsy Bodger from Manukōrihi says not many people will be happy with the final shape of the bill, but it means the hapū can move forward after generations of failed attempts to resolve a grievance that stretches back to 1860, when the crown went to war with Taranaki Maori to enforce a disputed land sale. Her thoughts go to those ancestors who tried to hang on to the land. Bodger: "We just mihi to them and we never forget them. It's really to talk about our tūpuna and we only hope we have done them justice but we see it as as a start for our people and a platform."
(audio) Full interview - Manukorihi Hapu Chair Patsy Bodger by Waatea Dale Husband
Taranaki hapū says new land law creates 'foundation for future'
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 17th December 2018
Waitara Lands Bill a Chance to Establish a Positive Future
Press Release from Manukorihi Hapu 14 December 2018
Patsy Bodger: "... We are serious in our endeavours towards looking to the future, we hope that through the opportunities that will come from the passing of this bill into law, we can continue to heal some of the pain that has been felt over the generations.”
Controversial land bill passes third reading in Parliament
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 13th December 2018
A contentious land bill which has faced ongoing opposition passed its third reading, the final step before it is officially made law.
Long-running land dispute resolved as Parliament passes Waitara Lands Bill
by Gia Garrick, Radio New Zealand 13th December 2018
The only party against the bill's passage was the Greens. Co-leader Marama Davidson shed tears as she addressed a near-full public gallery, outlining her own discomfort at her opposition. Davidson: "Despite all of the genuine efforts we do not feel that we have the full mandate of all hapū in order to support this bill in its entirety."
Waitara land dispute resolved with new law
(audio) Radio New Zealand Morning Report 13th December 2018
After 30 years of talks and nearly 160 years of disagreement, a law's been passed to resolve the long dispute over leasehold land at Waitara.
Jim Tucker: Leaseholders need to be heard
Opinion by Jim Tucker, Taranaki Daily News 13th December 2018
Tucker: "While the council concedes its bill will not meet the full aspirations of anyone involved, that downplays the fact some parties' wishes are more fully accommodated than others"
New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill - Final Reading
12th December 2018
Hansard transcripts are here ...
Jonathan Young (National—New Plymouth)
This is a bill that has come from the local people, New Plymouth District Council, the Regional Council, Te Atiawa iwi, Waitara hapū, leaseholders, and it is something which, as a community in north Taranaki, we have worked together to develop and bring to this point. It has been a long journey. The long journey of this bill has been only since 1992 and, latterly, in the last couple of years, but for the people of Te Atiawa, it's been a journey of 160 years. So we acknowledge that. My hope and my prayer is that this becomes a foundation for going forward, for establishing the aspirations and being able to fulfil the dreams that you have for your people.
Andrew Little (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Labour)
The bill is not perfect, but it could not be perfect, and the challenge for Jonathan Young and the respective mayors of the New Plymouth District Council, the other MPs who have been involved, those who have been talking and in kōrero with the various interested parties—there were so many interests over such a long period of time that it is not possible to produce, and has not been possible to produce, a perfect result for everyone. But there is now a result.
Christopher Findlayson (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, National)
I am so very pleased that today we reach what I believe is a very satisfactory conclusion to that issue. No one, as the Minister so insightfully said, is fully satisfied. What happened in Taranaki — and for me, it's been the education of a public man — was very, very serious, a blot on our nation's history, an affront to the rule of law, cruelty of a degree and of a magnitude that I think is without parallel in the history of our country. I can understand the depth of feeling and the fact that there probably, as someone said to me not so long ago, won't be true forgiveness in the Taranaki region for a couple more generations. But the good peoples in the gallery today need to understand that local and regional government have worked very hard with central government to at least try and create the conditions where, ultimately, there can be reconciliation. That is why this bill is so very important, because it was in Waitara where the Land Wars started, where there were such dreadful abuses, and the lands, the Pekapeka lands, were and are lands that mean so much to the hapū of Waitara.
Adrian Rurawhe (Labour—Te Tai Hauāuru)
Not everyone will be happy with this bill. But, as I said before, a perfect solution for one group would be an imperfect one for other groups. Thinking about the future, what this bill does is provide the avenue for both the Waitara hapū and the Waitara community to fulfil their aspirations and gives them the means by which to do it. And I think that's a really important point to note. It won't happen tomorrow but over time it will happen. I say to those who really don't want this bill to go through today that this is just one part of a long-term solution, I believe. I think I can honestly with my hand on my heart say that passing this bill today in its third reading is much better than not passing it, because not passing this bill will have implications for much longer than passing it today.
I can only just imagine the injustices for your people of having a million acres of land confiscated — quite unthinkable. I think, actually, it is of great credit to us as a nation that we have sought to redress some of these wrongs.
Our role as politicians in this House is to carefully balance the need of all New Zealanders as we seek to address the past wrongs. This bill is that balancing act in action.
Nanaia Mahuta (Minister for Māori Development, Labour)
It was evident through the first reading and the select committee process that unless we tried to do something a little bit more to address the significant historical issues that have already been referred to, which are the first confiscated lands at Pekapeka, we may create more harm than good. So while much of our contribution sounds like a Treaty settlement, it isn't. For that reason, I want to acknowledge albeit a very difficult journey for the conversations across the district of New Plymouth District Council, as well as Taranaki Regional Council. The path to reconciliation requires continual effort and commitment to do the right thing, and for New Zealand, it's a long road. And for New Zealand, albeit through a Treaty settlement process, we have a way to try and move in the right direction. It's still a long road.
Marama Davidson (Co-Leader — Green)
The Green Party will be opposing this bill today. Despite all of the genuine efforts, we do not feel that we have the full mandate of all hapū to be able to support this bill in its entirety, and we absolutely welcome the positives of this bill, and we absolutely uphold the mana, particularly of mana whenua katoa, Manukorihi and Otaraua in seeking to do their best. [ ] I stand here trying to uphold both the vision of what we could really actually do to see true justice, while not wanting to take away from the efforts of various Ministers, the Māori Affairs Committee, the council, Otaraua and Manukorihi leadership at all levels, to try and drive forward where hapū can make do and do the best that they can with what the Crown is offering.
Barbara Kuriger (National — Taranaki/King Country)
You've waited a very long time for this to happen.
Tamati Coffey (Labour — Waiariki)
I grew up here in Lower Hutt because my family had escaped the terrors of the land wars. So I say that as one of your whānau: I wish you all of the best going forward.
Party Votes on the Bill / Public Gallery Waiata and Haka
The Value of an Apology
Opinion by vivian Hutchinson, Taranaki Daily News, 12 December 2018
"What is an apology really worth? It is worth our honour."
Long-running land dispute at Waitara close to resolution
by Lucy Bennett, New Zealand Herald 11 December 2018
Jonathan Young: "It feels really significant. I think if there's a piece of legislation that you are privileged to be part of, this has got to be it."
Letter to Parliament from the Taranaki Maori Women's Network
by Leonie Pihama, 9th December 2018
Leonie Pihama: "We believe this Bill is a further act of violence against the hapū and iwi of Waitara. Since the initial acts of muru raupatu in Waitara each successive generation of Te Ātiawa has sought to bring this issue before government with a hope that some form of resolution and restoration. The current Bill does not do that."
Statement by the Tāmaki Treaty Workers
10th December 2018
Tāmaki Treaty Workers: "Even with the intent this Bill has to freehold the lands, in its rush, it has some big holes.
It talks about two hapū throughout the bill but only has support from one. It proposes a trust as a recipient but that had not yet been set up, does not state who it is to represent, or who it has mandate from (failing basic thresholds set during the Treaty of Waitangi settlements process). It is also seeking to appropriate the date the first shots were fired at Te Kohia Pa on 17 March with the enactment of the Bill which will be the final loss of the land by hapū and iwi."
Statement from Community Taranaki
11th December 2018
Community Taranaki: "What is an apology really worth? It is worth our honour. [] The Waitara Lands were left out of the Ātiawa settlement, and hapū have previously refused a monetary settlement, in the hope that we as New Zealanders would take the opportunity to get this right. The Waitara Lands Bill fails this opportunity.."
He Panui
Hikoi ki Paremata 12 Hakihea 2018
from the Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Website
Waitara Lands Bill approved for third reading at Parliament
by Christina Persico, Taranaki Daily News, 9th December 2018
Leaseholders cried foul over the bill setting out that they'd have to pay full market value to buy their land, and Otaraua hapū withdrew its support, but with the option of entering back in. Trent Hall: "You will make us homeless..."
Leaseholders and hapū oppose Waitara Lands Bill
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand 7th December 2018
The New Plymouth District Council is pushing ahead with the Waitara Lands Bill despite one hapū removing its support and the angry reaction of leaseholders. Graeme Porter: "The mayor came out to Waitara and said the land had been stolen but he couldn't give it back. I don't get that."
Extraordinary NPDC Council meeting on the Waitara Lands Bill
7th December 2018
Full Video of Meeting with Leaseholder Deputations
Video One
Video Two
Complete documents for Extraordinary Meeting
Supplementary Order Paper for the Bill
Amendments to New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill
Agreement between the NPDC and the Te Kōwhatu Tū Moana Trust
Letter from Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Local Government
to leaseholder Jeannie Boon 27 November 2018
Mahuta: "I encourage you to deal directly with the Council on this issue ..."
Work continues behind scenes as third reading looms for controversial land bill
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 22nd November 2018
In his November 15 letter, Andrew Little said no leaseholder could be compelled to purchase their property, and under the Public Bodies Leases Act 1969 the New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) could not evict leaseholders who complied with the terms of their lease. He said he also sought advice from Housing Minister Phil Twyford about government sources of financing to assist the leaseholders. "He has confirmed that the situation many Waitara leaseholders are in do not meet the conditions for Kiwibuild financing. On further examination, he has been unable to locate any other source of Crown financing for property purchases in the circumstances of the Waitara leaseholders," Little said.
Waitara Lease Land
Jane - Facebook open letter to Jonathon Young MP 22nd November 2018
Leased land affect about one third of Waitara township. Over 700 families have not been consulted about their futures. A large number of these households are families on low incomes or elderly with fixed pensions, barely coping with the amount of lease they pay already. Banks are not interested in helping re-finance this sector of the community to enable them to purchase their land. No provision has been made by council or government to help leaseholders be guaranteed the privilege of purchasing the land their homes sit on.
Mayor Neil Holdom on Hokonui Radio with Bryan Vickery, 15 November 2018
Soundcloud Waitara Lands Bill at 4.32mins to 9mins
Leaseholders have every right to be bitter. They've been misled. They've been made promises that weren't delivered on. Some of them have made investment decisions based on those commitments ... they were told they could freehold years ago. Alot of the job that Council seems to be doing in the last couple of years is cleaning up messes left by previous administrations ... so I feel for those Waitara leaseholders.
Hapū divided over Waitara Lands Bill
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand 12th November 2018
Rawiri Doorbar of Otaraua hapu: "Look we were asked to make a decision at our last meeting on a Bill that needed to sell itself - no one was there to sell it for them - and it was felt there was still work that needed to be done on it before it could be fully supported [...] We certainly haven't committed (to the Bill) by saying 'yes'."
Govt Minister Andrew Little listens to concerns of Waitara leaseholders as bill reading looms
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 12th November 2018
Grant Knuckey said the hapū interests had been met in the revised bill through a process of ongoing consultation and he wanted the same opportunity to be given to the leaseholders.
Waitara Leaseholders Reactions to the Bill on Hokonui Radio
with Bryan Vickery, Hokonui Radio on Facebook Live, 9th November 2018
1. Waitara Leaseholder Trent Hall explaining why he doesn’t support the current Bill.
2. Jonathan Marshall joins Trent Hall as the interview continues.
3. Jeannie May Boon interviewed by Bryan Vickery 12th November 2018
Jonathan says that 47 percent of Waitara Leaseholders are over the age of 50 and will struggle to get a loan to freehold their land from the banks.
Waitara hapū backs contentious land bill
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 8th November 2018
Patsy Bodger of Manukorihi hapū: "We're accepting the bill and we're moving forward."
Decision on hapū support for hotly debated land bill pending after months of talks
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 3rd November 2018
After months of kōrero, hapū are to decide whether they will support a controversial bill connected to a legacy of land confiscation.
An updated version of the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill has been drafted which could provide hapū Otaraua and Manukorihi with a multi-million land development fund, gifted sections of property, options to purchase whenua and co-governance roles with council. On Tuesday, the two hapū are due to meet together to discuss the updated bill and determine a way forward.
For as long as there is one acre ...
Facebook comment by vivian Hutchinson, Community Taranaki, 2nd November 2018
For as long as there is one acre of this particular land left in public ownership, or chained up in public "endowments" ... then the deepest aspirations of the Waitara hapu are still in play.
Jim Tucker: Waitara bill not home just yet
Opinion Jim Tucker, Taranaki Daily News, 2nd November 2018
The issues remain complex. For example, profiteers may be poised to take advantage once Waitara's land conundrum is sorted. Councils are wary of playing favourites or setting precedents that come back to bite them.
It could be a game-changer
Facebook comment by Bryan Vickery / Hokonui Radio 1st November 2018
Lets all wish the key parties the very best as they negotiate and thrash out the final details of this bill ...
Hapū to decide fate of Waitara Lands Bill
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand, 1st November 2018
Patsy Bodger: "There are people against it and several for it so we'll just have to wait and see what happens. I guess we are at the sharp end and the pressure is on getting it right. There's that fear of 'are we doing the right thing in moving it forward?'. I don't know what the decision will be. We'll have to wait until Sunday."
Hapū to consider updated NPDC Waitara Lands Bill
Press Release from the New Plymouth District Council, 1st November 2018
Mayor Neil Holdom: "NPDC has an obligation to all 80,000 people in the district and cannot legally sell publicly owned land below market value, no matter what the history.”
Faith in Taranaki: Seeking what is just and right in relation to Waitara Lands Bill
by Tiri Porter, Taranaki Daily News 23 October 2018
Tiri Porter: "To this date the issue of the confiscated land, injustice, trauma, sickness in the land remains unresolved and continues to marginalise the people of the land. The pattern repeats itself in the form of different government mechanisms attempts to resolve the injustice by way of selling off confiscated land into private ownership. Mana whenua will need to exercise bravery and wisdom over the next coming weeks in deciding to accept, amend or decline the proposed Bill."
Waitara residents upset by MP's no show at leaseholders' meeting
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 2018
On Saturday, Labour MP Kiri Allan was to meet with a group of leaseholders from the town ... However, she did not show up, leaving 75 attendees "gutted".
MP to visit Waitara ahead of land bill reading in parliament
by Brianna McIlraith, Taranaki Daily News 25 October 2018
Labour MP Kiri Allen is to visit Waitara this weekend to discuss the progress of legislation aimed at settling a long-running land grievance.
Leaseholders feel shut out of Waitara Land Bill negotiations
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News 22 October 2018
Bill Simpson says Leaseholders have been excluded from negotiations: "If necessary we'll march to parliament...I don't care if I have to stand up and yell and scream. We're going to demand a meeting with someone in Government."
Truth, Lies or Fairy Takes - Frequently Uttered Excuses (FUE)
by the Taranaki Maori Women's Network
The Taranaki Maori Women's Network offer their response to the common arguments stated against the return of the Waitara lands to Waitara hapu.
Native Affairs: Treaty process 'dirty deals, done dirt cheap'
(video) by Kim Webby 20 August 2018
Iwi negotiators have been left traumatised and feel bullied and let down by Crown Treaty settlement processes according to research by academic Margaret Mutu.
Talks to finally get underway regarding Taranaki pā site, land wars memorial
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 14th October 2018
Since the purchase, which was well received at the time by tangata whenua, progress appeared to have stagnated.
Nā Nīu Tīreni- New-Zealand-Made
Stuff Interactive, 1st August 2018
This is the unsettling truth about the way this country was settled. Stuff Interactive gives an excellent example of public education which builds important context around the news that they are reporting. This webpage tells the story of how Māori were dispossessed of their land since the wars and confiscations of the 1860s, the ongoing trauma that this caused, and the details of every subsequent Treaty settlement since.
Treaty of Waitangi: What was lost
by Andy Fyers, Stuff 2nd August 2018
Over several decades, Māori were stripped of their land, their economy and many of their cultural touchstones. The very existence of Māori people came into question. Data journalist Andy Fyers quantifies the scale of the loss for Stuff's NZ Made project.
The unsettling truth about the Treaty
by John Hartevelt, Stuff 1st August 2018
Everyone has an opinion on the Treaty. But, if we engage with our history honestly, there must be some things we can agree on. This project states, loudly and clearly, that the indigenous people of Aotearoa were treated unfairly and unjustly over many decades at the time New Zealand was made. This is something we, as New Zealanders, should say with one voice.
Living With Our Colonial Past
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News Saturday 28th July 2018
"I believe myself that the natives, in heart and thought, would bless the days that Government took into their hands the management and disposal of this land, as it would release them from their present estranged and embarrassed mode of life ..." -- Frederic Alonzo Carrington, known as the founding father of New Plymouth, writing in 1860
on Carrington and the Pekapeka
Facebook comment by vivian Hutchinson, Community Taranaki, 28th July 2018
Surveying is both the functional and the symbolic act of dominance that is the consummation of colonisation. Surveying is an act of framing, and of extraction, and of commodification. It reduces the living, the messy and the grab ... into a tidy representation that is ripe for transaction and for sale.
Notice for Joint Hapu Meeting at Owae Marae, Whaitara, 4th August 2018
Facebook
Come along to hear about further updates regarding the Bill, Saturday 4th August 2018, 9.30am, Owae Marae Whaitara.
Leonie Pihama: Let’s start by returning the Waitara land
Interview with Dale Husband, e-tangata 1st July 2018
"... if I could do anything today, it would be to have the Waitara lands returned to the hapū. For me, it’s about self-determination, and seeing hapū rangatiratanga that was guaranteed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi become embedded in this country [...] It’s always been my view that, if we can’t settle that very first block in Taranaki, that first act of violent dispossession of land in this country — if we can’t resolve that in a way that is just, then it’s very difficult to see how we can resolve any of the other issues in a meaningful way for future generations."
Top 10 reasons why the Waitara Lands should be returned
by Carl Chenery and vivian Hutchinson,
on the Spinoff Website 21st April 2018
download full PDF version here
Carl Chenery on Waatea Radio - Breakfast with Dale Husband
(audio 10 mins) 27 April 2018, Waatea Radio
1). The lands were stolen. They should be handed back as simply as possible ...
5). The current Bill is an improvement, but it is still absurd ...
10). Our young people want to commemorate not just our difficult history, but how it has led to a more just and equitable nation.
Progress for contentious land bill unlikely until mid-2018
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 3rd April 2018
A contentious piece of legislation connected to sections of land originally stolen off Taranaki Māori is unlikely to progress until mid-year... The New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Land) Bill passed its second reading in Parliament in August last year and is now in the committee stage which would see the bill considered by the whole house. However, close to eight months later, no progress has been made.
A Land Wars-shaped hole in the NZ psyche
by Marc Daalder, newsroom.co.nz 24th April 2018
There is currently no requirement that our students learn about the New Zealand Wars, despite their major impact on the country’s history.
Hurricanes apologise for using Taranaki Land Wars to promote Chiefs match
by Rachel Thomas, NZ Stuff 11 April 2018
The post, which appeared briefly on the Hurricanes' Facebook and Twitter pages on Tuesday night, was immediately lambasted on social media as naive, ignorant and offensive."Look, we were simply trying to promote a rugby game and it was a bad call, and it was taken down as soon as we realised it could potentially be offensive," Hurricanes spokesman Glenn McLean said.
Hurricanes apologise for 'racist' poster
by Te Aniwa Hurihanganui, Te Manu Korihi Radio NZ
Dr Leonie Pihama: Many descendants of people who died in the Taranaki Land Wars were furious about the advertisement ...
Progress for contentious land bill unlikely until mid-2018
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 3rd April 2018
A contentious piece of legislation connected to sections of land originally stolen off Taranaki Māori is unlikely to progress until mid-year... The New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Land) Bill passed its second reading in Parliament in August last year and is now in the committee stage which would see the bill considered by the whole house. However, close to eight months later, no progress has been made.
Radio New Zealand Insight: NZ Wars - A Day to Remember?
by Shannon Haunui-Thompson, Te Manu Korihi 1st April 2018
On 11 March this year, the first national commemoration day was held in Kororareka - Russell. The remembrance day started on Maiki Hill with the raising of the Whakaputanga flag, on the pole made famous by the Ngapuhi chief, Hone Heke, who chopped down the pole flying the Union Jack on three occasions in a symbolic gesture against British rule. Then a procession of hundreds walked through the streets of Kororareka, retracing the footsteps of those who fought on the same streets 173 years ago ...
Facebook video from Carmel Sepuloni (Associate Minister of Arts Culture and Heritage)
... Taranaki to host land war commemorations next year.
Facebook video coverage from Tautoko FM : Te Pūtake o te Riri - Wars and Conflicts in New Zealand, He Rā Maumahara, being held from 9-11 March 2018 at Waitangi and Kororāreka in Te Taitokerau.
"If we forget, it may happen again" - NZ Wars Commemorations
(video) by Leah Te Whata, Maori Television 11th March 2018
The next Pūtake o te Riri memorial will be held in Taranaki. Taranaki spokesperson Ruakere Hond: “The battle here was about the treaty. The battles in Taranaki were about land confiscation. If we take it back and host it in Taranaki we would bring those issues to the minds of the people.”
Te Pūtake o Te Riri: National commemoration recognises New Zealand Wars
(video) by Marae, Television New Zealand, 11th March 2018
Ngapuhi hosted the three-day commemoration, Te Putake o Te Riri which translates to "the reason for anger" in preparation for the 173rd anniversary of the battle of Kororareka which falls today. Also, interview with Crown/Maori Relations Minister Kelvin Davis.
Booming: 'People have discovered Waitara'
by Robin Martin, Radio NZ News, 9 February 2018
Often seen as New Plymouth's poorer cousin, Waitara is experiencing a property boom.
Why would Waitara have a property boom? Well, why not?
by Brittany Baker and Matthew Rilkoff, Taranaki Daily News 9 February 2018
All of a sudden Waitara is booming, with $20 million in consented construction work in the last year seeing dozens of new houses being built. Such news is unexpected from the north Taranaki town of 6500 people that has been economically stunted since the closure of its meatworks more than 20 years ago.
Husband and wife property developers linked to $20 million boost in small Taranaki town's housing stock
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 6th February 2018
After years of work, Richard Dreaver and wife Sharron Masters-Dreaver have created two subdivisions off Waitara's Armstrong Avenue, which boast a total of 79 sections. House and land packages in the subdivision are priced from $430,000.
Boom times for Waitara house prices and construction
by NPDC Press Release 2nd February 2018
The value of construction consented has more than quadrupled over the last financial year, with a total exceeding $20 million when only about $5 million was expected, based on the trend from 2013 to 2016. The work includes 82 new homes over the last two years, many of them in new developments on the eastern side of the river, near the new Clifton Park sports hub.
Waitara Land Bill shelved until next year
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News, 4th December 2017
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young said they "weren't quite ready" and it would now likely be tabled in February. The affected hapū required more time to revise the proposed bill, he said."Right now they are just formulating...they're making the final amendments, which I don't think are significant but they are important. But I'm yet to see those."
Meeting goes well for leasehold couple who feared losing their home
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News 18th December 2017
A couple who feared losing their home after a 1500 per cent rent increase say their minds have been put at ease following a meeting with the landowner - the New Plymouth District Council.
Couple faces losing home after Waitara lease jumps 1500 per cent
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News 8th December 2017
A Taranaki couple living on leasehold land are facing financial ruin and risk losing their home after their land lease increased by 1500 per cent
Waitara leaseholders fear being forced out of their homes
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand Checkpoint, 13 December 2017
Leases in the Taranaki town have gone from an average of $400 annually to about $4700 - an increase of more than 1000 percent.
Waitara residents face massive lease hikes
Te Aitiawa iwi member Josephine Moore said she and her partner flatly refused to pay her new lease, which jumped from about $400 to more than $5000. "We believe the land is part of the stolen land confiscated off Te Atiawa and we believe that issue needs to be addressed and that the council are administrators of the leases but they are not the legal owners of the land."
Waitara Lease Land Community Page on Facebook.
Native Affairs - Taranaki Land War Continues
(video) by Carmen Parahi, Native Affairs Maori Television, 31 October 2017
Rawiri Doorbar: "It is pretty hard to contemplate a commemoration of the Land Wars when it hasn't been resolved for us here in Waitara ... We should be proud of our history. We should be proud to resolve it properly as a country. [...] We want it sorted out. We want it fixed. We want to be able to move on in our future. We don't want our kids to have to deal with this. We don't want our mokos to have to deal with this. We want to have time for our people to flourish. We want to have time for our culture to flourish. We want all of these things and a healthy people. In the meantime we are just fighting for what's rightfully ours ... against a country which seems to have no knowledge of what happened."
Is stealing Waitara Lands twice not enough?
by Dr Leonie Pihama, Leonie Pihama Blog, 29 October 2017
The current version of the Bill is not balanced, and nor does it reflect the desire of Otaraua and Manukorihi hapū and Te Ātiawa iwi that presented in the Select committee process for the return of the lands unencumbered to the hapū [...] The Bill proposes that the council sell the lands and that the funds support hapū buying other lands. So the expectation is that hapū will have to buy back lands, with funds that come from the sale of their original homelands that were taken through invasion, war and confiscation. There is much wrong with that scenario.
Call for councils to step aside on Waitara Lands Bill compensation - Moeahu
by Mike Watson, Taranaki Daily News 29 October 2017
Moeahu said the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill should be amended by transferring the land and accrued income from rentals fully to Waitara iwi, together with caveats over reserve land for public use. The changes would remove both councils as financial recipients, he said. [...]
However Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta said amendments [to the Bill] had achieved a balanced outcome for iwi, leasees and councils. "The select committee had made significant changes to achieve this balance which reflected a general consensus," she said."It was not an easy issue to resolve but it has been fully debated. To change this again would need to have the bill relitigated."
Raa Maumahara - 28th October 2017 - the inaugural national commemoration day to mark the 19th-century New Zealand Wars
Map of key sites of the New Zealand Wars
The story of Waikato Village Killings Leads to annual commemoration of New Zealand Wars
by Martin Johnston, New Zealand Herald, 28 October 2017
Nation set to remember land wars as significant battle site in Taranaki awaits development
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 27 October 2017
As the nation prepares to remember its land war history, a significant site in Taranaki's civil conflict remains under development. After the four hectare site in Brixton was bought by the New Plymouth District Council in June 2016 for $715,000, it has sat empty while work goes on behind the scenes regarding its future development.The site is of historical importance as it was where the first shots were fired in the Taranaki land war conflict.
One year as New Plymouth mayor for Neil Holdom
by Helen Harvey, Taranaki Daily News 11 October 2017
Holdom: "The Waitara leasehold land was a really complicated piece of work and we've been really fortunate to get it through to a second reading. We're hopeful that bill will reach a third reading and become law before the end of the year. I think the bill will be a game changer for Waitara."
Manukorihi and Otaraua Hapu Consultation on the Latest version of the Waitara Lands Bill
Resources Page at Te Kotahitanga o te Atiawa
Joint Hapu Committee Members: David Doorbar, Patsy Bodger, Donna Eriwata, Mawhaturia White, David Rogers, Alice Doorbar, Moana Denness and Hemi Sundgren.
Joint Hapu Committee Administration Support: Tiri Porter
Contact details for background documents and communications:
[email protected]
Facebook: Waitara Land Bill Noticeboard for Otaraua and Manukorihi Hapū
The Waitara Lands Bill: ‘The land was stolen, therefore return it’
by Carl Chenery, Spinoff website, 5th October 2017
Carl Chenery appeals to other Pākehā to be courageous in commemorating the Land Wars and for peace in Waitara today.
The Waitara lands in question are currently tied up in perpetual leases owned by the New Plymouth District Council. The council says they cannot just give the land back, as they are required by law to sell these properties at a proper market rate. But the government can enable the council to return these lands by passing legislation that clearly says that the fiduciary responsibilities of the Local Government Act do not apply to stolen property. They can also legislate to break the perpetual nature of the current leases on the Waitara lands, and pay some compensation to the existing leaseholders. These are all powers within the hands of government.
The Waitara Lands Report
a paper by vivian Hutchinson, 27 August 2017
As we mark the Second Reading of the Waitara Lands Bill, this might be a good time for all of us to reflect on what has taken place so far. While the Waitara hapu make their own deliberations on the legislation ... we might like to reflect on the proclamations by the local Mayor and MP that the latest Select Committee report amounts to an “Historic Day for New Zealand”.
We may even begin to recognise that the Waitara hapu are a group of people that might have their own idea of what “historic” would look like to them. And we could even realise that it would be worth everyone’s while if Manukorihi and Otaraua were able to fully make that case.
Waitara Lands Bill passes second reading, moves into committee stage
by David Burroughs, Taranaki Daily News 10th August 2017
After his speech, Young said following a further speech on Wednesday night, the bill would go to the committee after the general election, before coming back to parliament for its third and final reading, which he hoped could happen before the end of the year.
Jonathan Young: The numbers
from Jonathan Young Facebook Page 9th August 2017
New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill- Second Reading
9th August 2017
Hansard transcripts are here ...
Jonathan Young (National—New Plymouth)
This bill is the council's third attempt at resolution, after previously promoting a local bill to Parliament in 1992 and, secondly, offering the land to the Crown for inclusion in Te Ātiawa's settlement. The revised bill now before the House is innovative, but I must mention that Manukōrihi and Ōtaraua hapū are still working through the provisions in the bill, discussing this with their people. I look forward to seeing and hearing how that goes and am convinced that, with the leadership of the hapū wanting to lay this issue to rest and move forward into a stronger future for themselves, and with the council's wanting to lay this issue to rest, the relationships and outcomes this bill engenders will be long-lasting and fruitful for everyone.
06. Catherine Delahunty (Green)
I think it is because, whatever we call this bill — it does not really matter — this bill is about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Pekapeka Block. At the heart of it is the issue of what happened historically, which is so alive to the people today in Waitara—to the two hapū, Ōtaraua and Manukōrihi ... Whatever we struggle with is nothing compared with the struggle that they have been through. I acknowledge that the leaseholders and all the people who have lived in those houses as individuals have been through a lot, but it is not the same as what has happened to those people who, from the 1860s, experienced total land loss and devastation of their culture...
It has been a positive process to see the first bill — which was, you know, quite honestly, unacceptable — transformed by the work of a select committee where people were all dedicated to trying to do what was best. We remain pleased by that, but it is in the hands of those people—the hapū te Manukōrihi me Ōtaraua. Their rangatiratanga is what is at stake here. They are not required to sort out the mess that colonisation imposed upon them, but if they can come to a party that meets their needs, we are there as well. We are still going to be listening and we are still hopeful, but justice under Te Tiriti comes first. I look forward to hearing what the hapū have to say back to us. Whakarongo ki te Pāremata—listen. We need to whakarongo, and then we can hold our heads up.
12. Chester Borrows (National)
I think the saddest thing in looking at this, in considering the Te Atiawa settlement bill, was that it set Te Atiawa against the hapu of Manukōrihi and Ōtaraua. It is sad when you see families fighting, and that is the situation that we had here. The hapū walked away from the Te Atiawa settlement, and quite justifiably so. But it is great to see that through the work that has been done ... and the fact that they have managed to sit down with one another, they are now in the space where they are having the opportunity to have a look at something that is much more palatable in reconciling history and also in acknowledging the hurt that still continues today.
Jonathan Young interviewed by Bryan Vickery on Hokonui Radio
(video) 4th August 2017, from Morris West / Facebook
Jonathan Young: "The community rejection of the initial Bill was massive ... I was driving across to Hastings with Maura, my wife, and I said; Look, we've got to do something around this. I had some ideas, and talked to her ... came back, went to the NPDC, to the hapu and to different people. Everyone thought my plan would work ... and it has."
Waitara Bill change needs hapu debate
(audio) Rawiri Doorbar interviewed on Radio Waatea by Dale Husband 3rd August 2017
The chair of Te Atiawa's Otaraua hapu says changes to the Waitara Land Bill represent a significant concession by new Plymouth District Council, but they may still not be enough to satisfy everyone in the iwi. "We'll be discussing it and I daresay we will have some pretty robust discussions. They will range from 'stick to your guns, stick to the korero of our tupuna, i riro whenua atu, me hoki whenua mai,' and then some may be saying this is an opportunity to do something productive and move forward"
download audio
Waitara Bill sweetened for hapu
(audio) Mayor Neil Holdom interviewed on Radio Waatea by Dale Husband 3rd August 2017
New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom says getting the Waitara Land Bill to the second reading astage is an historic moment for New Zealand. "It's about taking a past injustice and turning it to a positive future and for me that is real progress."
download audio
vivian Hutchinson: Comment on the Select Committee Report
Facebook 2nd August 2017
vivian Hutchinson: "Yes, the new version of the Bill contains substantial changes. But the Bill has not changed its primary purpose and objectives..."
Historic Day for New Zealand: Maori Affairs Committee Recommends NPDC's Waitara Lands Bill Be Approved
Press Release by the New Plymouth District Council 2nd August 2017
Neil Holdom: "The Maori Affairs Committee’s recommendation that Parliament approves a Bill to free up leasehold lands in Waitara is a historic moment for New Zealand."
Hapū support for revised Waitara land bill conditional
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand News 3rd August 2017
Otaraua hapū chairman Rawiri Doorbar said Waitara hapu considered the revised version a fresh start, but there was more consultation to be done. "The timeframe we were given hasn't allowed us to take the complete revised Bill out to our people, so ultimately the jury is still out on whether this is a Bill our people can live with."
Manukorihi hapū chairperson Patsy Bodger said any decision that resulted in the land not being returned to Waitara hapu would be difficult for some members to stomach. "It will be a huge discussion point with some of our hapu members because it's always been seen that what they wanted was to have the land back."
Maori Affairs Select Committee recommend Waitara Land Bill be approved
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News 3rd August 2017
Waitara residents are one step closer to buying the confiscated Maori land they live on but one leaseholder says the proposed legislation is a win-lose result. Trent Hall: "The win is we finally get freehold...the loss is the Bill was before Parliament in '92 so we're back at the start. The real loss is the value in what we're going to have to pay." Hall said if the Bill was passed the first time he would have paid about $8000 to purchase the land but 15 years on he's looking at paying about $85,000 due to inflation. "We've already had a 25 year mortgage and now I have to go and get another 25-30 year mortgage to pay for the land."
Otaraua leader Rawiri Doorbar: "We've always believed our Waitara hapu have a primary claim to our whenua and any other claimants to our Waitara land are secondary. So our intent with this process is to consult with our people and to provide some ongoing dignity with this kaupapa."
Report of the Maori Affairs Committee, New Zealand Parliament,
and copy of the new version of the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill
2nd August 2017
"... We note that there are ongoing discussions between the Waitara hapū, the Trust, and
our advisers. The Waitara hapū are yet to finalise their position, but support the bill to
the second reading."
Waitara Lands Bill report to be published
by Andrew Owen, Taranaki Daily News 1st August 2017
The long-delayed report on a contentious Taranaki land settlement is finally due to be published on Wednesday.
Overdue committee report on Waitara Land Bill postponed for the fourth time
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News 28th July 2017
vivian Hutchinson: "If the delays are because the council and the Taranaki Regional council and the Crown are belatedly but finally recognising that the Waitara hapu have a primary claim over the endowment lands...then that is a long overdue shift worthy of most of the submissions made on the Bill so far. I don't know what is in the coming report from the select committee, but I do hope they would put all the hopeless last-minute deal-making aside, and simply withdraw the Bill and choose to start again."
Waitara land bill controversy posted up in city's main street
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News 14 July 2017
Rawiri Doorbar said he did not know who was responsible for the billboard but said it was less about who ordered it and more about the message it carried."It's clear to me that that the person or persons who put this up are saying it's about time someone did the right thing and returned the land."
Opinion: Dr Leonie Pihama - Violence, Abuse and The Theft of Waitara Lands
by Leonie Pihama, Blog 7th July 2017
None of the abusers in this scenario want to relinquish their power. The Crown, NP District council and the Taranaki Regional council want to place some part of the responsibility of this issue at the feet of the Iwi and the existing Te Atiawa treaty settlement. It is also clear that the Taranaki Regional Council have sat in arrogance throughout this process and have positioned themselves actively against the return of any lands.
Opinion - Carl Chenery: Stolen Taranaki land should be given back
by Carl Chenery, New Zealand Herald, 6 July 2017
If we take on the Prime Minister's statement from Waitangi Day this year about being able to look back from 2040 and be proud of steps we have taken between now and then, the current New Plymouth (Waitara Lands) Bill clearly fails that test. We need courageous and creative politicians to do the right thing. We need more of us as citizens to be involved in understanding and owning our history to ensure this is done.
Future of Waitara Land Bill still unclear after report postponed for third time
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News, 30th June 2017
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young: "It is vital that a contentious Taranaki land bill is settled before the general election in September."
Reconciliation, healing theme of Sir Maui Pomare Day celebration
by Catherine Groenestein, Taranaki Daily News 25th June 2017
"Parihaka leader Te Whiti had prophesied that a son of Waitara would pick up the crumbs of Waitara and 46 years later that was fulfilled when a Government Commission of Inquiry driven by Sir Maui Pomare investigated the grievances experienced by Maori from the land confiscations. This was the forerunner of the Maori Trust Boards and the Waitangi Tribunal, and the ongoing treaty claims process..."
A second extension granted for committee report on Waitara Land Bill
by Tara Shaskey, Taranaki Daily News, 7th June 2017
The report due back to Parliament from the select committee in charge of a costly and controversial land bill has been put off for the second time.The committee's most recent postponement has seen a new date of June 30 set down for the report, which should become available to the public shortly after.
He Puanga Haeata - The Parihaka-Crown Reconciliation Ceremony
Friday 9th June 2017 at Parihaka Pa
New Plymouth council denies it reaped up to $140m in income from stolen Maori land
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 10th May 2017
Claims it pocketed up to $140 million in income from stolen Maori land have been refuted by the boss of New Plymouth's council.
Council earned $140m from stolen land - Treaty Workers
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand News Te Ao Maori 4th May 2017
(audio) from RNZ Morning Report Council's earnings from Waitara land bone of contention
It's being argued millions of dollars the New Plymouth District Council has earned from stolen Waitara land should be included in the fraught discussions about settling one of New Zealand's longest-running land disputes. The Tamaki Treaty Workers group used the Official Information Act to get access to council documents and did their own analysis. They found the council had pocketed between $95m and $140m, excluding interest and any money from land sales.
Tamaki Treaty Workers Spokesperson speaking to Dale Husband
(audio) Waatea Radio 8th May 2017
Who’s the We? Maori, Pakeha and an anthem's bonds of love
Essay by Peter Walker, North & South Magazine 27 April 2017
Walker asserts that Te Whiti did decide the future of Maori and Pakeha in our country: "... racism was so strong in the early 1880s that a state assault on Maori might have taken place elsewhere, and without Te Whiti present to arrange the outcome, the results could have been deadly. But once Parihaka had happened, it was almost impossible for it to happen again."
Extension granted regarding select committee consideration of Waitara land bill
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 10th April 2017
The date for the report has now been pushed out to May 31. The committee report should be available to the public about the same time. A select committee spokeswoman said more time was needed to consider "the large number of submissions" it received.
Insight: Is Taranaki Coming to Terms with Its Colonial Past?
(audio) by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand Insight, 9th April 2017
Taranaki Māori have paid dearly for their defiance of colonial rule, and the dodgy land deals that came with it, and many feel they are still suffering today. The first shots of the New Zealand Wars were fired at Te Kohia Pa, Waitara in 1860 and within a decade scores of warriors had been killed and vast tracts of Māori land confiscated. Ultimately even non-violent resistance was crushed at Parihaka in 1881. But even as treaty settlements progress, tensions persist and there are calls for "ignorance" to be overcome for the region to move forward.
Taranaki Tensions are rooted in Pakeha collective amnesia
(audio) by Robin Martin, Morning Report, Radio New Zealand 7th April
Maori have done historical research as part of the Treaty Settlement process, but there hasn't been similar work done by pakeha because the Crown has done that work. vivian Hutchinson: "The unspoken contract that goes into this arrangement is: Don't disrupt the amnesia. Don't disrupt the intentional and organised forgetting of our history that is a huge part of our pakeha culture."
Legacy of Taranaki land wars still lingers 157 years on
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 17th March 2017
Hoani Eriwata says the land wars have been "forgotten on purpose", superseded by New Zealand's participation in the World Wars. That's what tends to dominate New Zealand's war history, not what happened in our own backyard, Eriwata says. "It's not part of the education system either," he says. "But you can only have amnesia for so long."
Maniapoto commemorates with Taranaki seige at Te Kohia Pa
(audio) Waatea Radio interview with Dale Husband
On this day in 1860 British troops bombarded Te Kohia pa near Waitara, which had been built by Te Atiawa warriors led by Wiremu Kingi Te Rangitaake over the preceding days to resist just such an attack.That incident and other battles are being remembered this weekend not just by Te Atiawa but by other iwi whose ancestors stood with Taranaki.
full interview with Kawhia Te Muraahi - Too much of history has been forgotten we want to revive this
full interview with Hoani Eriwata on Paakiwaha - Te riri me te Raukura - War and peace.
Growing interest in remembering Taranaki's land war history
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News, 3rd March 2017
From March 16-19, the public will have a chance to find out more about the Taranaki land wars and the roles Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi played in Parihaka's passive resistance movement. Called Riri me te Raukura or War and Peace, organiser Hoani Eriwata said the event was designed to commemorate what happened between March 17, 1860, when the first shots were fired in the land conflict at Te Kohia Pa, and November 5, 1881, when the coastal settlement of Parihaka was invaded by 1500 British troops.
Details of $9m reconciliation package for Parihaka revealed
by Deena Coster, Taranaki Daily News 1st March 2017
A novel $9 million government reconciliation package offered to the people of Parihaka has been widely criticised as being too low. The Crown offered the multi-million reconciliation package to the Parihaka Papakainga Trust, as a form of recognition for the historical injustices suffered by those living at the site due to the actions of the colonial government, including the 1881 invasion. The offer differed to a Treaty of Waitangi deal as it was not a negotiated process but followed a unique pathway designed by agreement between the trust and the government.
Parihaka rejects $9m Crown payment offer
by Robin Martin, Radio New Zealand Te Ao Maori, 2nd March 2017
Parihaka, the village at the centre of non-violent resistance to land confiscations in Taranaki during the 1870s, has rejected the cash on offer as part of a deal with the Crown.In an arrangement that sits outside the usual Treaty settlement process, Cabinet has approved a payment of $9 million to help Parihaka with its water supply, construction of a waste water facility and building refurbishments.
Earlier ... Diary - Peace for Pekapeka - September 2016 to March 2017
