In December 2016 a draft deed of settlement of claims under the Treaty of Waitangi was agreed between the Crown and Hauraki Iwi.  Members of local iwi within the area shown on this map have until the 17 March 2017 to decide whether they wish to ratify the proposed deed. An information booklet sets out a summary of what is included in the proposed deed.

The deed covers a wide range of issues including minerals, and co-governance of some areas of conservation land.

In respect of minerals the iwi of Hauraki will take ownership of any Crown-owned minerals found in land transferred to them.

But there are two highly important exceptions/conditions attached to the transfer of such land :-

• this does not include minerals covered by section 10 of the Crown Minerals Act 1991 ie, petroleum, gold, silver and uranium which will continue to be owned by the Crown.
• all land which is currently subject to Schedule 4 protection (no surface mining of Conservation land north of Kopu- Hikuai Road) will continue to be subject to the same type of protection once owned by the iwi of Hauraki.

For those of us (which includes many Maori) who have fought for over 30 years to protect the Coromandel from gold mining, it is of some relief to know that the Crown will retain ownership of gold and silver. And just as importantly it is a relief to know that the Schedule 4 protection which took decades of protest action and lobbying of successive governments to achieve, will be retained on any Crown land transferred to Hauraki iwi.

In other parts of the agreement – The Crown will involve the iwi of Hauraki should it initiate a review of the ownership of gold and silver. (pigs will fly?)  The Deed also provides for the Collective Cultural Entity to enter into a relationship agreement with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as the Crown agency responsible for minerals.

Moehau Moehau Tupuna Maunga (1000 hectares) will be vested in the Collective Cultural Entity as a Government Purpose (Pare Hauraki Whenua Kura and Ecological Sanctuary) Reserve. The purpose of the reserve will be to protect and enhance the spiritual, cultural, ancestral, customary and historical relationship between the iwi of Hauraki and Moehau. The reserve will be administered by the Moehau Tupuna Maunga Board which will consist of three members appointed by the Collective Cultural Entity and up to three members appointed by the Director-General of the Department of Conservation who are to be senior staff members from the Department of Conservation (one member being a Tier 3 (or higher) manager).

Te Arawa iwi dispute Hauraki’s claim to Moehau so this part of the agreement is far from being finally settled.

Te Aroha The Te Aroha Tupuna Maunga (1000 hectares) will be vested in the Cultural Entity as a Local Purpose (Pare Hauraki Whenua Kura) Reserve. The purpose of the reserve will be to protect and enhance the spiritual, cultural, ancestral, customary and historical relationship between the iwi of Hauraki and Te Aroha. The reserve will be administered by the Collective Cultural Entity.