Rēkohu Wharekauri Shared Redress Bill

Parliament is seeking submissions on shared redress for Moriori and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri, including Te Whanga Lagoon ownership and management, cultural sites and a joint planning committee. This bill does not settle either group’s historical claims, and no closing date has been set.

Give effect to elements of the shared redress deed associated with the separate Moriori and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri settlements. This bill does not itself settle either group’s historical claims.

Vest specified cultural properties, including Te Whanga Lagoon and associated sites, in equal undivided shares in the two settlement trusts. Establish a lagoon management board with appointments from the trusts, Chatham Islands Council and the Director-General of Conservation.

Require the lagoon board to prepare a management plan, seek public views and consider written submissions on a publicly notified draft plan. Clause 59 distinguishes commercial or structure-related permissions from ordinary public access, navigation and recreation, while allowing conditions or restrictions for the board’s purpose or public safety.

Create a permanent Chatham Islands Joint Planning Committee with council and settlement-trust appointees to oversee development and review of resource management documents and provide for Moriori and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri participation.

Provide for shared geographic names, Moriori representation on the Chatham Islands Conservation Board and an option to purchase Kaingaroa School land through a deferred selection process. The school-land provision does not include the school buildings.

The bill would put parts of the Rēkohu Wharekauri shared redress deed into legislation. It would vest specified cultural properties in the Moriori and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri settlement trusts and establish arrangements for managing Te Whanga Lagoon and associated sites.

A lagoon management board would exercise landowner functions and prepare a management plan with public input. The bill distinguishes ordinary public access and recreation from activities requiring the board’s permission, and permits restrictions for its statutory purpose or public safety. A separate permanent joint planning committee would support participation in developing and reviewing Chatham Islands resource management documents.

The bill also covers geographic names, a conservation board appointment and a school-land purchase option. It does not settle historical claims: Moriori’s settlement legislation is separate, as is the Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri Claims Settlement Bill.

Check the current invitation, detailed source limits and submission route before submitting feedback.

The summary is based on the official bill explanatory note and selected operative clauses, not a complete assessment of the signed deeds, mapped sites or legal effects. Read the full bill and associated deeds before relying on detailed rights or property descriptions.

The native Parliament submission portal remains restricted to this reader. Its current form, attachment limits and treatment of confidential material were not verified; the instructions summarise indexed official guidance.

No submission closing date or verified opening date is recorded. The next committee sets closure; the status-review date is a Civics check date and must never be shown as a submission cutoff.

The bill would establish lasting arrangements for shared cultural property, lagoon management and participation in Chatham Islands resource planning. These functions are distinct from settling historical claims.