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1News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- 1News
Gisborne council to investigate returning ancestral land to Ngāti Oneone
Seats were scarce at Gisborne's District Council's packed-out chambers on Thursday morning, as councillors voted to investigate the return of ancestral land to a local hapū. Members of Ngāti Oneone have inhabited Te Pā Eketū Shed, a warehouse-sized property on Gisborne's Hirini St, for almost two months as part of a protest movement they have called "a reclamation of whenua". Their original Te Poho-o-Rāwiri Marae and Pā once stood on the land, now owned by Eastland Port, before they were removed to develop the Gisborne Harbour under the Public Works Act, almost a century ago. Mayor Rehette Stoltz addressed the councillors and the crowd of hapū members and supporters, saying, "Ngāti Oneone are only asking for little bits of land back... which are not used. "But the real question and the real thank you... is how much they have given to our community." ADVERTISEMENT The council voted to approve the development of a "statement of intent," which would investigate the future of the council-owned land and vested land within Ngāti Oneone's rohe. Many in the public seats were visibly touched by the meeting's outcome. Stoltz acknowledged it would be "a clunky journey," with various legislation to work through and more meetings likely. "But I think I speak on behalf of this council when I say there is good intent from us to want to work with you." The council's decision was a response to Ngāti Oneone's online petition, which has called on the council, Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port to return lands not used for core business. More than 2500 people had signed the petition as of this morning. Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told the council, "In times of disaster, you trust us with your most prized possession, which is your people", noting Ngāti Oneone's support during Covid and severe weather events. ADVERTISEMENT "Homelessness is still happening on our side of town... We think we can do something about it. Please trust us... We're good at looking after people." Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson presenting to Gisborne District Council on Thursday morning. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Ngāti Oneone's protest movement began on May 5. It was 185 years to the day since Ngāti Oneone's tīpuna, Rawiri Te Eke Tu, signed "ae ra" on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, said Gibson. "In this day and age – it is 'ae ra' [meaning] – Get it, do it! Support Ngāti Oneone." Councillor Rawinia Parata said the council could not continue to ask things of Māori and give nothing back. "That's not what partnership is – [partnership] is walking hand and hand." Councillor Ani Pahuru-Huriwai thanked the hapū for its "graciousness in opening [its] doors" and meeting with the landowner groups under Trust Tairāwhiti, as well as councillors, and everyone who had been to the protest movement at Te Pā Eketū Shed. ADVERTISEMENT "A lot can be solved by having a cup of tea and a kōrero around a fire. We should have done this a long time ago." She noted other councils had taken action to support returning Māori land around the country. "This is not new, but it is a step in the right direction in terms of what Treaty partnership truly looks like and that we're not afraid to go there." Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga said the statement was consistent with previous council decisions, noting the decision in 2021 to support the return of land taken under the Public Works Act in Tokomaru Bay. Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said the statement of intent was a framework for how the council would proceed. "That will be in negotiation with Ngāti Oneone around what this will look like, and what their priority areas are. "We may be able to find some easy wins in this... we have 265 parcels of land. Some will be reserves, some will be public works. ADVERTISEMENT "[It's] going to be difficult to navigate, but I am sure we will work in a partnership way." In its petition, Ngāti Oneone described its tribal lands as "from Pouawa in the north of Gisborne to Te Toka a Taiau, Turanganui awa, including the lands known as Kaiti/Kai Iti/Puhi Kai Iti". Council landholdings within this area comprise 265 individual land parcels, including Titirangi Reserve and its surrounds, according to the meeting's report. "The number of parcels and variety of types of land and ways it was acquired and is held mean that there can be no 'one size fits all' process. "Even if parcels are grouped and prioritised, consideration of the request from Ngāti Oneone will be complex and will require significant time and resources." In the report, the council acknowledged that other iwi and hapū may also have interests in some of the lands and commits to engaging in a principled and inclusive manner, ensuring all rights and relationships to the whenua are considered. The report says the statement of intent will signal the council's intent to "explore the return or vesting of land to the rightful owner/s where there is no longer a genuine public need, or where ongoing stewardship and use would be more appropriately held by tangata whenua". ADVERTISEMENT Additionally, the council will engage in good faith with Ngāti Oneone and ensure "the process is transparent, timely, and upholds and enhances the dignity, integrity, and mana of those involved". The statement of intent will be presented to the council for adoption on August 14. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
20-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Tai Rāwhiti protest: A burning question on Ngāti Oneone's redress
Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson stoking the fire at the protest movement taking place at Te Pā Eketū Shed, on Hirini St, calling for the return of Ngāti Oneone's ancestral lands. Photo: Zita Campbell / LDR A fire signalling Tai Rāwhiti hapū Ngāti Oneone's call for the return of their ancestral lands has been burning for over six weeks. The hapū said it will stoke the fire until the grievance is resolved, but after three generations of attempting to remedy it, does not want the redress to fall on them. "It always falls on us to 'make the case'," Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) when the movement started on 5 May. The Crown said any potential redress in this case is the responsibility of the landowner and the hapū. As part of its protest, members of Ngāti Oneone have inhabited Te Pā Eketū Shed, a warehouse-sized property on Gisborne's Hirini St. Rather than an "occupation", the hāpu calls the action "a reclamation of whenua". The location is where Ngāti Oneone's marae and pā were originally established in 1852 before being removed for harbour development under the Private Works Act. Eastland Port, of which Trust Tai Rāwhiti is the sole shareholder, owns the shed and others on the hapū's ancestral land on Hirini St and the Esplanade. At the beginning of the protest movement, the hapū called on the trust, Eastland Port and Gisborne District Council to return land not used for "core business". Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann told LDR the council had started exploring how land could potentially be returned following formal requests from Ngāti Oneone in 2024. This includes investigating the relevant legal processes, policy settings and the interests of other Treaty partners. However, Trust Tai Rāwhiti, which has a funding partnership with the council and serves as the region's economic development and tourism organisation, earlier said addressing historical Treaty breaches was not its responsibility, but rather a matter for the Crown, after it sought independent legal advice. "We support Ngāti Oneone in pursuing this with the Crown," chairman David Battin told LDR when the protest started. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka had a different view. The 2010 Ngāti Porou settlement of historical Treaty of Waitangi claims includes Ngāti Oneone, Potaka told LDR. "The matter being raised ... is outside of the process for the settlement of historical Treaty claims. "Any exploration of options to return and/or purchase the land is a matter for the landowner agency to undertake in discussion with Ngāti Oneone," he said. Regarding Potaka's statement, a Trust Tai Rāwhiti spokesperson this week said trustees continued to "engage directly with Ngāti Oneone and remained focused on constructive resolutions". Gibson confirmed the hapū had met with the landowner groups involved under Trust Tai Rāwhiti and would have a meeting with the council next week. She was unsure whether the groups would respond individually or together. The hapū has committed to maintaining the protest for two months and then will reassess depending on outcomes, she said. "We'll keep the fire burning until we've had an acceptable response." In addition to the return of land, the hapū has made other requests to the landowners through an online petition signed by over 1950 as of Friday. The petition urges the Tai Rāwhiti leaders to take three actions: "Whakahokia Whenua Mai", which requests the return of land not used for core business, "Whakamana Tangata" and "Te Tiriti". Whakamana Tangata requests that Trust Tai Rāwhiti financially compensate Ngāti Oneone for "the alienation" of their lands without conditions. "Te Tiriti" requests that the leaders seek a pathway that treats Ngāti Oneone in the same vein as a "Treaty" partner, rather than "a community group". Gibson said that after Eastland Port sold a shed on their ancestral land to the Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club three years ago, they worried about what could happen to the rest of their ancestral land, so they started negotiations for the Te Pa Eketū Shed. If the land were sold, it would be harder to reclaim, she said. However, they then realised the port had other sheds in the area, not used for "core business". "In my view, it's not an occupation, it's a reclamation of whenua," Gibson said, explaining that the shed had been leased while negotiating the sales and purchase agreement. The port would send the hapū the bill, which they would send to Trust Tai Rāwhiti, who would pay Eastland Port (owned by the trust), she said. Trust Tai Rāwhiti was going to give them $1.4 million to purchase the shed, but the hapū wanted to use the money to buy the lot. When their request was denied, they understood and looked into other ways of obtaining the sheds, Gibson said. However, when the hapū got the sales and purchase agreement, things shifted. "There were four clauses within the sales and purchase agreement, which undermined Mana motuhake [self-determination], which made it untenable," said Gibson. On 5 May the beginning of the hapū's "Reclamation of whenua", they were supposed to sign the sales and purchase agreement but decided to "reclaim" the land instead. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
06-06-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Crane numbers drop by one at Gisborne's Eastland Port
This photograph was taken when two of the huge cranes were delivered to the port in 2021. Now only two out of three will be required. Photo / Supplied Eastland Port and crane operators Qube have been preparing to move the main log export berth from Wharf 8 to the newly rebuilt Wharf 7. It follows what port chief executive Andrew Gaddum said was a successful dredging campaign last month by the trailing suction dredge Albatros. 'This marks
Scoop
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Ngāti Oneone calls for unused land return in Gisborne protest
Article – Zita Campbell – Local Democracy Reporter Protesters marched through Gisborne, calling for the return of land taken from Ngti Oneone nearly a century ago. Protesters in Gisborne demand the return of land taken from Ngāti Oneone nearly a century ago Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson emphasised the need for fairness and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi The council and Trust Tairāwhiti acknowledge the grievance Protesters carrying placards reading 'We are the whenua' and 'Public works, Private grief' marched through Gisborne on Monday, calling for the return of land taken from Ngāti Oneone nearly a century ago. The hīkoi began at the Gisborne District Council administration building and visited Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port before ending at the group's occupation site, Te Pa Eketū Shed, on Hirini Street. There, a pou was erected and a fire lit – actions the group say will continue until their concerns are addressed. 'We will keep that fire burning until all of this is resolved,' Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told the crowd. 'It's going to be a long haul, but we're up for it.' She told Local Democracy Reporting the group intended to remain at the site 'as long as it takes'. This year marks 95 years since the hapū was displaced from its ancestral land under the Public Works Act. Te Poho-o-Rāwiri Marae, originally established on Hirini Street in 1852, was removed to make way for the development of the Gisborne Harbour. Gibson said a tipping point came when the hapū realised the Eastland Port shed on Hirini Street was no longer being used for port-related operations. 'It sort of broke the back…we lost that whenua for you to store boats,' she said. Gibson said that returning the land was not about legalities, rather fairness, partnership and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 'We want all the lands back that you are not using for your core business,' she said. 'If you look at the whole of Hirini Street, which was our marae, they've all been sold on.' Gibson said if further port developments were to proceed and the land was sold again, the hapū could lose any chance of reclaiming it. 'We would lose the opportunity in my lifetime.' Previous attempts to get the land back were made by her grandfather and father, Gibson said. The aim now was to avoid passing the burden on to future generations. 'We don't want it to fall on the next generation.' They want the land returned without it being the problem of the hapū to work out how that return happened. 'It always falls on us to 'make the case',' she said. Ngāti Oneone is calling on the council, Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port to return land not essential to their core operations. Trust Tairāwhiti is the region's economic development and tourism agency and the sole shareholder of Eastland Port. In separate statements, the council and Trust Tairāwhiti acknowledged the historical grievance and the right to a peaceful protest. The council said it began exploring how land could potentially be returned following formal requests from Ngāti Oneone in 2024. 'This includes looking into the relevant legal processes, policy settings and the interests of other Treaty partners,' council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said. 'The council recognises its part in past decisions that contributed to the loss of land and the lasting impacts of those actions.' Trust Tairāwhiti chair David Battin said the trust valued its relationship with Ngāti Oneone and had sought independent legal and cultural advice to understand the complexities of the request. 'Ultimately, we advised that the trust could not approve those requests and that the Crown is best placed to address their historical grievance,' he said. Battin said that because the trust was not a Crown entity, it did not have the authority or mechanisms to address historic Treaty breaches. 'Our commitment to Te Tiriti is about working in partnership with mana whenua to support hapū and marae development now and into the future. 'We are focused on solutions and remain open to constructive engagement with Ngāti Oneone.'
Scoop
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Ngāti Oneone calls for unused land return in Gisborne protest
Protesters in Gisborne demand the return of land taken from Ngāti Oneone nearly a century ago Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson emphasised the need for fairness and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi The council and Trust Tairāwhiti acknowledge the grievance Protesters carrying placards reading "We are the whenua" and "Public works, Private grief" marched through Gisborne on Monday, calling for the return of land taken from Ngāti Oneone nearly a century ago. The hīkoi began at the Gisborne District Council administration building and visited Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port before ending at the group's occupation site, Te Pa Eketū Shed, on Hirini Street. There, a pou was erected and a fire lit - actions the group say will continue until their concerns are addressed. "We will keep that fire burning until all of this is resolved," Ngāti Oneone chairwoman Charlotte Gibson told the crowd. "It's going to be a long haul, but we're up for it." She told Local Democracy Reporting the group intended to remain at the site "as long as it takes". This year marks 95 years since the hapū was displaced from its ancestral land under the Public Works Act. Te Poho-o-Rāwiri Marae, originally established on Hirini Street in 1852, was removed to make way for the development of the Gisborne Harbour. Gibson said a tipping point came when the hapū realised the Eastland Port shed on Hirini Street was no longer being used for port-related operations. "It sort of broke the lost that whenua for you to store boats," she said. Gibson said that returning the land was not about legalities, rather fairness, partnership and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. "We want all the lands back that you are not using for your core business," she said. "If you look at the whole of Hirini Street, which was our marae, they've all been sold on." Gibson said if further port developments were to proceed and the land was sold again, the hapū could lose any chance of reclaiming it. "We would lose the opportunity in my lifetime." Previous attempts to get the land back were made by her grandfather and father, Gibson said. The aim now was to avoid passing the burden on to future generations. "We don't want it to fall on the next generation." They want the land returned without it being the problem of the hapū to work out how that return happened. "It always falls on us to 'make the case'," she said. Ngāti Oneone is calling on the council, Trust Tairāwhiti and Eastland Port to return land not essential to their core operations. Trust Tairāwhiti is the region's economic development and tourism agency and the sole shareholder of Eastland Port. In separate statements, the council and Trust Tairāwhiti acknowledged the historical grievance and the right to a peaceful protest. The council said it began exploring how land could potentially be returned following formal requests from Ngāti Oneone in 2024. "This includes looking into the relevant legal processes, policy settings and the interests of other Treaty partners," council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said. "The council recognises its part in past decisions that contributed to the loss of land and the lasting impacts of those actions." Trust Tairāwhiti chair David Battin said the trust valued its relationship with Ngāti Oneone and had sought independent legal and cultural advice to understand the complexities of the request. "Ultimately, we advised that the trust could not approve those requests and that the Crown is best placed to address their historical grievance," he said. Battin said that because the trust was not a Crown entity, it did not have the authority or mechanisms to address historic Treaty breaches. "Our commitment to Te Tiriti is about working in partnership with mana whenua to support hapū and marae development now and into the future. "We are focused on solutions and remain open to constructive engagement with Ngāti Oneone."
