Historical land ownership deal for iwi secured in land back efforts.
‘Tēnā te ngaru whati, tēnā te ngaru puku. There is a wave that breaks, and there is a wave that swells.’
Ngāti Toa Rangatira has successfully re-acquired approximately 144 hectares of land in their rohe (territory) in a landmark $352 million deal.
Based in the southern North Island and the northern South Island, the iwi completed the $352 million deal with the Ministry of Education on the sixth of May. The deal sees loan money used to buy back the land that 40 public schools sit on around Porirua, Plimmerton, Pāuatahanui, and the wider Wellington catchment area. While the loan will take the iwi around 25 years to pay off, the deal secures long-term benefits as they become the landlords of the respective schools, receiving rent payments from the Ministry of Education. This move makes Ngāti Toa the Ministry of Education's biggest landlord and provides the iwi with financial security for generations.
Ngāti Toa was initially provided with the opportunity to purchase the land on which 68 public schools sit in the Wellington and Porirua areas. The iwi's administrative body Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangatira, responsible for all their commercial interests, continues to negotiate for the remaining 28 schools offered to them as part of the deal, which was made possible through the Ngāti Toa Rangatira Claims Settlement Act 2014. The act aims to give effect to historical settlement claims, recognising the vast and deliberate breaches of Te Tiriti O Waitangi on behalf of the crown, along with illegal crown confiscation of Ngāti Toa land. CEO Helmut Modlik paid homage to others within the iwi whose tireless work made the achievement possible, stating that 'Had it not been for the leadership, tenacity, and fortitude of our original claimants, Tā Matiu and Te Kaha, we would not be in the position to progress this deal today. We continue to benefit from and grow the fruits of their commitment to our iwi.'
NZTE's Māori investment team are pleased to have been invited into this opportunity and to have been able to provide support as requested by Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The team further congratulates the Ngāti Toa iwi and team on their success in securing a hugely impactful deal.
