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Regional | Ngāti Paoa

Ngāti Paoa land returned

Ngāti Paoa is about to transform some of their land in the East Auckland for housing first home buyers. It's a huge cultural milestone for the tribe.

Prime Auckland land soon to be returned to Ngāti Paoa.

The tribe will work with the Government and Tamaki Redevelopment Company to develop 300 homes on 11.7 ha of reserve land . It's a plan two and a half years in the making.

A further two hectares will be provided to the iwi to develop a marae as part of their cultural treaty settlement redress.

Co-Negotiator Hauauru Rawiri says, "For two years we've been negotiating with the crown pushing for this with Crown.  Through working in collaboration and talks with all the ministers, so today is the fruition of that."

For decades the reserve land has been used for grazing cows.  Ngāti Paoa plans to transform the underutilised area into an inter-grated housing development.

"This isn't just about land,  to us it's sustainability for the community and the people here.  Firstly social housing, another section for affordable housing, and also commercial housing," Rawiri says.

The master plan also involves a further two hectares which will be provided to the iwi to develop a marae as part of their cultural treaty settlement redress.

"The return of the land will mean our grandchildren can return to their ancestral lands," Rawiri adds.

The Point England Development Enabling Bill will be introduced to Parliament tomorrow night. The developments are expected to get underway before April next year.