The Government and three Kurahaupō Iwi have signed a $25.2million agreement to resolve the post-Treaty settlement issue of contaminated land at RNZAF Base Woodbourne.
Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia each received $8.4 million after contaminated soil at Base Woodbourne near Blenheim prevented the three Iwi from purchasing a substantial part of the site as originally intended in their Treaty settlement redress.
The NZDF as the landholding agency and Te Arawhiti, as the responsible agency to ensure the durability of Treaty settlements, worked together to resolve the issue and an agreement was signed with Iwi on 14 October 2024.
Māori Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka praised the three Iwi for their ongoing commitment to resolving the issue.
“I know this mahi has presented everyone involved with challenges, and I particularly want to acknowledge and thank the Iwi for their resolution to move forward.
“Upholding Treaty settlement commitments is a priority for this government. In this case, the negotiated settlement redress could not be delivered as intended and it was incumbent on us to work with Iwi to find a mutually agreeable solution.”
Contamination from per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contained in firefighting foams, was found in the soil at Woodbourne as part of the Crown’s ‘due diligence’ phase of engagement between the Iwi and the New Zealand Defence Force in 2019.
PFAS can accumulate in the human body and does not break down in the environment, posing potential health and environmental risks.
“The $25.2m confirmed in Budget 2024 compensates the Iwi for being unable to purchase the remainder of the site due to the extent of the contamination, which includes the operational land and housing block as intended,” Mr Potaka says.
“National has a proud history of delivering settlements with Iwi and we will continue to build on that legacy.”
Kua ea te take e pā ana ki te whenua o Base Woodbourne ki te taha o ngā iwi o Kurahaupō
Kua hainatia e te Kāwanatanga me ngā iwi e toru o te waka o Kurahaupō tētahi whakaaetanga e $25.2 miriona te nui o te pūtea, hei whakaea i tētahi take e pā ana ki ngā matū kino kei te whenua o RNZAF Base Woodbourne.
E $8.4 miriona te nui o te pūtea i whakawhiwhia ki ia iwi, arā, ki a Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust, ki a Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust, ki Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia hoki i te mea kāore rātou i āhei ki te hoko i tētahi wāhi nui o ngā whenua i tāpuia mā ngā iwi e toru nei i raro i tō rātou whakataunga Tiriti nā te whakakinotanga o te one ki Base Woodbourne e pātata ana ki Te Waiharakeke.
I mahitahi Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa i raro i tōna tūranga hei kaipupuri whenua me Te Arawhiti hei kaiwhakapūmau o ngā whakataunga Tiriti ki te whakatutuki i te kaupapa, ā, ka hainatia tētahi whakaaetanga ki te taha o ngā iwi i te 14 o Oketopa i te tau 2024.
Ka mihia ngā iwi e toru e te Minita o Te Arawhiti, e Tama Potaka i tō rātou manawanui ki te whakatutuki i tēnei take.
“Kei te mōhio au ki ngā uauatanga i tau atu ki runga i ngā tāngata katoa i whai wāhi mai ki tēnei mahi, ā, kei te mihi atu au ki ngā iwi i tō rātou whakaae ki te ahu whakamua.
“Ko te whakamanatanga o ngā whakataunga Tiriti tētahi o ngā whāinga matua a tēnei kāwanatanga. Kāore mātou i āhei ki te hoatu i te paremata i whiriwhiringia i roto i te whakataunga, nō reira nō mātou anō te haepapa ki te mahi ngātahi ki ngā iwi ki te kimi i tētahi whakautu e pai ana ki ngā rōpū e rua.”
I kitea ngā paitini nā ngā matū kino o te pāhuka patu ahi, e kīia ana ko te PFAS, ki roto i te one ki Woodbourne i te Karauna e takatū ana mō ngā whakawhitinga kōrero i waenga i ngā iwi me Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa i te tau 2019.
Ka noho tonu te PFAS ki roto i te tinana, ā, e kore hoki e popo i te au tūroa, nā reira he matū mōrearea rawa tēnei ki te tangata me te taiao.
“I tohua te $25.2m i te Tahua Pūtea o te tau 2024 hei utu paremata ki te iwi i te mea kāore rātou i āhei ki te hoko i te toenga o te whenua nā te nui o ngā matū kino ki reira, arā, e kapi katoa ana tērā i te whenua e whakamahia ana e Te Ope Kātua me tētahi huinga whare i tāpaea i mua,” te kī a Mr Potaka.
“E tū whakahīhī ana a Nāhinara i te whakatutukinga o te huhua o ngā whakataunga ki te taha o ngā iwi i roto i ngā tau, ā, ka haere tonu tērā mahi.”