Ngāti Toa has welcomed a settlement with the Ministry of Education which will see it buy the land of 40 public schools in the Wellington region.
Negotiations are continuing for another 28 schools in Wellington and the top of the South Island to be included in the deal. (File pic) Photo: RNZ Insight/John Gerritsen
The iwi has taken out a $352 million loan to buy the land in Porirua and Wellington, and lease it back to the Ministry of Education, it announced in a statement on Monday.
The purchase, which has been negotiated for 18 months, was possible under the treaty settlement Ngāti Toa signed with the Crown in 2014, which formed part of compensation for the confiscation and theft of Ngāti Toa land.
"The Ngāti Toa Rangatira Claims Settlement Act 2014 afforded us the opportunity to purchase the land of 68 public schools in Te Whanganui a Tara and Te Tauihu in recognition of Crown breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the illegal confiscation of Ngāti Toa land," Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik said.
The deal only sees the purchase of 40 schools in the Wellington region, with negotiations still underway for another 28 in both Wellington and at the top of the South Island.
Modlik said the purchase sets up a strong financial position for future generations.
"It's an extremely exciting time for Ngāti Toa Rangatira and we are in a truly fortunate position to be able to create a strong and enduring future for our mokopuna to build on our efforts and continue to grow the prosperity and wealth of our iwi."
However, Modlik said the iwi won't see any direct income for another 25 years, because of loan repayments.
