to ensure appropriate signage and information is available for the public so that they can exercise respect for this place and we can exercise our kaitiakitanga.

ATHENREE FOREST

85. Our interests in the Athenree Forest were recognised by the Waitangi Tribunal in the first stage of this Inquiry. At the current time the Hauraki claimants are trying to enter into negotiations, this will however take some time and any relief will be at least a few years away. As our claims have already been found to be well founded in both the Hauraki and Tauranga Inquiry Districts, we consider that it is important that we are provided with interim relief to assist us over the next few years, until we attain our full settlement.

86. Given these findings of the Waitangi Tribunal and the fact that this is the only Tribunal currently hearing Hauraki claims, we request that our share of the Athenree Forest be returned to us as soon as possible. We have had to wait far too long for any actual remedy and consider that this would be a small gesture of redress, for which there is already a clear legislative process.

87. I consider that the Trust Board is the appropriate entity to return the forest to, to be held in trust for its beneficiaries, pending the settlement of the wider Hauraki claims. This would enable the benefits which derive from the forest to be used for the benefit of our constituents until such time as full benefit and redress can be attained through our eventual settlement.

CONCLUSION

88. The Hauraki iwi have taonga spread throughout a number of museums in New Zealand and waahi tapu within this Inquiry District (and others not the subject of today’s hearing). Neither our waahi tapu nor our taonga have been looked after appropriately by the Crown (and its agents), nor is there any meaningful recognition or involvement of the Hauraki iwi in the