The use of the conservation estate in the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology/Zoology at Massey University
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Date
1998
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Massey University
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Abstract
The effect of the Treaty of Waitangi on New Zealand's conservation estate through the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims, and the Department of Conservation's requirement under the Conservation Act 1987 to have regard for the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is introduced. The importance of the Treaty of Waitangi Settlement process and the controversy surrounding the role of the conservation estate in this process is also discussed. A background to the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process is presented and three major land claims and their resulting settlements are examined as case studies. These are the Tainui-Waikato raupatu claim, the Whakatohea claim, and the Ngai Tahu claim. The potential impact of each of these settlements on the ownership and management of New Zealand's conservation estate is discussed and compared with the impact of the Department of Conservation's current commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi through it's Kaupapa Atawhai Strategy on the management of the conservation estate. It was found that the settlement of Treaty of Waitangi claims has had little impact on New Zealand's conservation estate. Only very small areas of the conservation estate have had ownership transferred to claimants, and the area of land managed by the Department of Conservation has increased as a result of Treaty settlements. Treaty of Waitangi settlements have also had little impact on the management of New Zealand's conservation estate, as many of the redress instruments included in settlements are similar to the objectives and policies included in the Departments of Conservation's Kaupapa Atawhai Strategy. Future Treaty of Waitangi settlements are also unlikely to have a significant impact on New Zealand's conservation estate, and are likely to become more effective through improved consultation with the public and conservation interest groups and the closer involvement of the Department of Conservation's Kaupapa Atawhai section in the settlement process.
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Treaty of Waitangi (1840 February 6), New Zealand, Crown lands, Maori (New Zealand people), Government relations -- 20th century, Conservation of natural resources, Land tenure, Claims, Māori Masters Thesis, New Zealand. Department of Conservation