There is less than one week to go before voting on our Post-Settlement Governance Entity closes. Whānau, make sure you have your say by voting. All the information you need to vote is in your ratification voting packs, which includes an Information Booklet and your voting papers.
Voting closes this Monday 8 July at 5 pm. You can vote by post, or online here.
Remember, you need to be registered, and over 18 years of age to vote. It is not too late to register, click here to register. If your details have changed, let us know by calling the Te Mana office on 07 322 2452 or email info@ngatirangitihi.iwi.nz.
If you have lost your voting pack, please call Electionz on 0800 666 042 (NZ residents) or 00 64 3 377 3530 (overseas residents). Don’t miss your chance to vote and have your say on this important part of our settlement journey.
It was great to see so many Ngāti Rangitihi members at our various information hui across the motu. If you were not able to make it to any of the hui, we encourage you to watch a playback recording of our Matatā Information Hui livestream on our YouTube channel here, and on Facebook.
Below is an outline on the resolutions you are being asked to vote on, and why your support is so important in order to ensure Ngāti Rangitihi can keep moving forward and be successful into the future.
You can also read about this upcoming ratification in more detail here, and you can view the proposed new Te Mana PSGE Trust Deed here.
This settlement process is for your whānau, and for your mokopuna and their mokopuna to come. Let’s all work together for a positive future for ngā uri o Ngāti Rangitihi.
What are you being asked to vote on?
For our settlement journey to keep moving forward and as part of this ratification, we need your support and your vote on three resolutions:
Resolution 1:
I, as a member of Ngāti Rangitihi, agree that the proposed new Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust will be the Post- Settlement Governance Entity to receive and manage all of the historical Treaty of Waitangi settlement redress on behalf of Ngāti Rangitihi.
Resolution 2:
I, as a member of Ngāti Rangitihi, authorise the transfer of the mandate to negotiate the settlement of the Ngāti Rangitihi historical Treaty of Waitangi claims from the existing Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust to the new Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust.
Resolution 3:
I, as a member of Ngāti Rangitihi, agree that the initial trustees of the new Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust will be the current trustees of the existing Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust.
We strongly recommend you vote ‘YES’ to all three resolutions.
Why vote YES to Resolution 1? (Approval of the new Te Mana PSGE)
We need to get approval from our iwi members on a new PSGE that is fit-for-purpose to receive the settlement redress. This is a standard part of settlement processes and is an important requirement of the Crown.
The new Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust is the PSGE that the existing Te Mana has agreed on after much consideration. The Crown has also reviewed this to confirm that the Trust meets criteria around transparency, accountability and representation. You can view the Crown’s approval of our proposed PSGE and ratification strategy here.
Importantly, the changes reflected in the new PSGE Trust Deed, which can be viewed here, and which are explained in more detail on pages 16 and 17 of your Information Booklet, ensure that our settlement is protected for Ngāti Rangitihi uri.
If the new Te Mana PSGE does not get enough support from Ngāti Rangitihi, it may delay our settlement journey. We need a PSGE set up to be able to receive and administer the settlement redress once our settlement becomes law.
Why vote YES to Resolution 2? (Transfer of mandate to the new Te Mana PSGE to continue settlement negotiations)
It is intended that the new Te Mana PSGE will continue the negotiations with the Crown towards a deed of settlement.
So, as part of the current voting process, Ngāti Rangitihi members are being asked to vote on agreeing to transfer the mandate to negotiate the settlement of the Ngāti Rangitihi historical Treaty of Waitangi claims from the existing Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi Trust to the new Te Mana PSGE. The new Te Mana PSGE will then complete negotiations with the Crown.
If this PSGE is approved there will be a Special General Meeting (SGM) held later in the year. Iwi members who attend will be asked to vote to transfer the existing Te Mana assets to the new Te Mana PSGE. The existing Te Mana PSGE will then be dissolved.
Why vote YES to Resolution 3? (Appointing the current trustees of the existing Te Mana as the initial trustees of the new Te Mana PSGE)
We believe voting yes to this resolution is best option to ensure Ngāti Rangitihi’s settlement keeps moving forward.
Reasons include:
1. We are at an important part of our settlement journey and we are so close to reaching a draft deed of settlement for you to vote on.
2. The existing Te Mana trustees have a strong understanding of our Treaty settlement. Having the existing Te Mana trustees as the initial trustees of the new Te Mana PSGE will ensure we don’t lose momentum in our negotiations, and we stay on track to bring you a deed of settlement to vote on in the next 12 months.
3. Most of our trustees support the signed Agreement in Principle and the negotiations currently taking place to reach a deed of settlement. It is crucial that Te Mana enters the deed of settlement ratification process with at least the majority of trustees being supportive of the Deed. This cannot be guaranteed if we hold an election in October as is currently scheduled under the existing Te Mana Trust Deed.
4. Trustees elected in October 2019 may potentially serve less than a full term before they have to stand for re-election again (likely less than 12 months). Te Mana believes in being careful with our finances, to protect the settlement for future generations of Ngāti Rangitihi. There are significant costs to running an election in October – approximately $30,000 – which is a lot, particularly when those elected won’t serve a full term.
5. While Option 2 gives an opportunity for other members of Ngāti Rangitihi to stand for election, it is important to note that they are unlikely to have the detailed knowledge of the negotiations to date needed at this crucial stage of the settlement journey. When we hold the new PSGE trustee elections within one year of the deed of settlement being signed, or at the AGM in 2022, whichever is sooner, other members of Ngāti Rangitihi will have the opportunity to stand for election then. Our preference of course is that once the Settlement is signed, the new trustee elections are held within one year of the Deed of Settlement being signed.
You can read more about the PSGE ratification and the three resolutions you are being asked to vote on in your Information Booklet. Click here to access the Information Booklet.
Rangitihi Story (PDF)