Offer to Ngāti Maniapoto
In December 2018, the Government agreed to offer Tokanui to Ngāti Maniapoto as part of their Treaty Settlement. As part of this decision, it was decided the demolition and remediation works would be carried out by us.
On 17 December 2020, Ngāti Maniapoto initialled the draft Deed. The Deed noted the cultural significance of the site and need for demolition and remediation works to be completed before the site is offered back to the iwi.
An offer was made to Ngāti Maniapoto on this basis, which they accepted subject to the extent of demolition being agreed.
Preliminary reports
Over the course of 2018 - 2019, we commissioned several reports to gain an understanding of the site as well as different options and costs for the demolition and remediation.
The options report presented options due to the scale and extent of works required on the site. They were whether:
- non-recyclable demolition waste from the site will be transported offsite to an appropriate disposal facility or contained in an engineered landfill to be constructed by us onsite
- some roading and below ground services (like pipes) are kept in place.
Funding
In November 2020, we informed the Government that we wouldn’t be able to afford the demolition within our usual budgets.
In February 2021, the Government agreed to provide us with funding. Cabinet authorised the Minister of Finance, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, and Minister for Land Information to decide the final extent of demolition works.
Terms of transfer
In April 2021, Te Arawhiti Office for Māori Crown Relations, Ngāti Maniapoto and our representatives agreed wording for the Property Redress Schedule for incorporation into the Deed with specific Terms of Transfer associated to the demolition and remediation of the Site.
The Terms of Transfer commit the Crown to entering a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Te Nehenehenui Trust, which represents Ngāti Maniapoto. In May 2021, we, as representatives of the Crown and Ngāti Maniapoto agreed the terms of the MoU, which sets out relationship principles and provides a process for communication in relation to the demolition and remediation works.
The Deed was signed by Maniapoto and the Minster of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and became effective on the 11 November 2021, it forms part of the Maniapoto Settlement Claims Act 2022.