Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Ureweras Remain For All

Yesterday, the Crown and Ngai Tuhoe settled the long-running Te Urewera grievance.
Lotsa chick-ching changing hands ($170 million worth!) BUT no much-demanded Urewera National Park for a separate maori state.
The deal means no one owns the Ureweras and it will remain a national park for the good of ALL NZers, rather than a select few.
Tuhoe agreed to an arrangement in which the land of Te Urewera National Park is vested in a new legal body governed by Crown and Ngai Tuhoe appointees, and chaired by a Ngai Tuhoe nominee. The board will be responsible for approving a management plan of the area, and over time Tuhoe will have an increasing role in managing the park, with the Department of Conservation also maintaining its role. But the most important factor to note is that NO-one will own Te Urewera under the deal, and it will remain a national park.
Ngai Tuhoe chief negotiator Tamati Kruger called it an historic day:
"One day,
Roger Fitch..."
"Te Urewera is unique and we have together developed an innovative, NZ-made settlement."
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says Tuhoe have made a total compromise from their previous ambitions but want to move forward. She hopes Tuhoe eventually gets control and management of the land...er, sorry Tariana, but that'll only happen over a lot of dead bodies!
"Who, ME...?
I'm a patsy!"
Labour leader David Shearer is pleased: "I hope the Tuhoe people can put this money to good use and further develop its people"...by which he does not mean allowing miscreants to run terrorist training camps deep in the bush!
So the Ureweras remain a national park for all to enjoy. How long do you think it'll be before a few rabid radicals man roadblocks, demanding koha for access, hmmm?

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