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Post by flyinkiwi on Apr 30, 2009 10:36:48 GMT 12
www.stuff.co.nz/national/2373763/Air-base-cited-in-iwi-dealMarlborough iwi could get Blenheim's Woodbourne Air Base as part of a Treaty settlement deal. A Government-ordered defence review announced last week proposed the sale of some defence property to the private sector, with agreements to lease them back to the military. Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy said Woodbourne would be considered, alongside every base in New Zealand. Three iwi, Rangitane, Ngati Apa and Ngati Kuia known collectively as Kurahaupo have been negotiating over Woodbourne. Chairman Richard Bradley said he was heartened by the defence review proposals that some properties might be better managed by the private sector. "Certainly, that has been one of the Kurahaupo strategies; turning what's a deteriorating regional asset into something of more benefit to the local economy," he said. "I saw that iwi, like our federation, are more likely to be able to return the benefits of a property like Woodbourne to the regional community than an international property consortium whose shareholding is based outside the top of the south or even based offshore." Kurahaupo signed an agreement in principle with the Crown in February, accepting a figure of $80 million as the value of their Treaty claim. It came as part of a $300m settlement with all eight of the top-of-the-south iwi. Background documents released at the time envisaged that Kurahaupo might be given the opportunity to buy parts of Woodbourne Air Base. In a ceremony to sign February's agreement, Rangitane chairwoman Judith MacDonald told Prime Minister John Key the acquisition of Woodbourne Air Base would be a "deal-breaker". Bradley said Woodbourne's "iconic" value was the reason it was so important to iwi. "The iconic part of it, of course, is that our iwi has a long history of association with the Crown and all its wars." Also, physically, to be seen to be the kaitiaki of a military base in the South Island. "So there's those types of relationships which make it iconic. It's not just an old car park or a crusher works down the riverbank." The Defence Force said it was aware of iwi interest in Woodbourne and was considering possible sale and leaseback options.
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Post by bazzaboeing on Apr 30, 2009 12:40:22 GMT 12
Look out Woodbourne, you could be heading the same way as Wigram. They will put the landing fees up to some exorbitant price and people will stop using it and then they will say its not viable to keep it as an airport and then they will close it and build houses on it!!! or am I seeing it a bit cynically?  Cheers Bazza |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 30, 2009 13:38:30 GMT 12
Chairman Richard Bradley said he was heartened by the defence review proposals that some properties might be better managed by the private sector. "Certainly, that has been one of the Kurahaupo strategies; turning what's a deteriorating regional asset into something of more benefit to the local economy," he said . Deteriorating? What the hell does that mean? Woodbourne is in better nick now than it was when I lived there in 1989, much better nick. Um, I think the airport, the base and the civil comapnies located at the base already contribute a significant amount to the Blenheim community. If it wasn't for the grapes, it would be Blenheim's only major industry. It used to be the only thing keeping Blenheim alove before the wine industry took over. This guy is talking shit. Fair enough, the government should then buy them a vineyard or give them the cash value. Don't, for God's sake, give them the most valuable Government owned asset in the region. It's mindless. Please stop considering it! It is one of the stupidest things the government has ever inflicted on the long term sustainability of the NZDF. It has already happened at Devonport and they still have not learned from it. Why give up assets they fully own legally and then lease them back so that forever they're paying to be somewherethat before they had freehold? It's very poor planning and accounting. It almost seems like the government doesn't expect the NZDF to exist in ten years time so they're solving short term issues by screwing the NZDF in the long term. And surely because land at Woodbourne was taken from local farming people for the creation of the base, who still farm there, wouldn't they get first approval on any sale of the land anyway? I seem to recall hearing too that in all of history there was no such thing as Maori settlement in the Blenheim and Woodbourne area till after 'white man' created a few towns there. Is that right? |
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Post by globemaster on Apr 30, 2009 17:03:17 GMT 12
Wow, what the NZ government has become.
One would think a thing or two would've been learnt from Wigram.
Simply unbelievably...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 30, 2009 17:21:43 GMT 12
I think ALL treaty settlements should be put on hold till the economic crisis is well over. If a few bloody lawyers from the tribes are going to bankrupt the country into selling its most important assets to pay their compensation, is it really worth it??
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Post by Kenny on Apr 30, 2009 18:23:21 GMT 12
RRRRRAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What the hell is wrong with this country.
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Post by phil on Apr 30, 2009 20:29:03 GMT 12
Well apparently part of the defence review process will involve public submissions. I hope you all make the effort to put your views forward when the chance arises. This news about WB is pretty worrying.
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Post by lumpy on Apr 30, 2009 20:47:21 GMT 12
They are reviewing ALL defence bases ,across the whole country ! Its just that the money grabbing iwi have announced they want Woodbourne - should the defence force no longer require it ( of course they bloody well do ! )
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Post by beagle on Apr 30, 2009 21:05:34 GMT 12
Mt Egmont, Mt Cook, the foreshore, maybe an air force base, what next, the air we breathe.
It has been 160 years since the treaty was signed.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 30, 2009 21:51:27 GMT 12
Beagle you forgot Te Rapa, Wigram, Shelly Bay and the expensive part of Devonport.
The Ministry of Defence has a massive piece of land at Tekapo whch would make a lovely subdivision in a high tourism area, I wonder if they'll claim that too? Funny how none of them have asked for Waiouru though...
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Aug 13, 2009 14:28:36 GMT 12
Base to be returned to local iwi?By RACHEL YOUNG - The Marlborough Express | 1:00PM - Thursday, 13 August 2009The land on which Base Woodbourne staff housing stands, and the nearby golf course, may soon be controlled by top of the south iwi.
Woodbourne personnel were last month notified by email of multimillion-dollar negotiations for the land between the Office of Treaty Settlements, the collective Kurahaupo iwi and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
Kurahaupo say they have ancestral ties to the housing estate, covering about 29 hectares, and the golf course, set on about 27ha.
The Marlborough District Council has estimated the rateable value of the land in question would be at least $3.7 million.
Earlier this year, the Defence Force said it would consider sale and lease-back options of the land.
Three iwi, Rangitane, Ngati Apa and Ngati Kuia known collectively as Kurahaupo signed an agreement in principle with the Crown in February, accepting a figure of $80m as the value of their Treaty of Waitangi claim. It came as part of a $300m settlement with all eight top of the south iwi.
The Letter of Agreement between Kurahaupo and the Crown says the Crown will provide the iwi with "the opportunity to purchase land and improvements at Woodbourne Airbase, subject to the satisfactory accommodation of the operational interests of the New Zealand Defence Force".
Air force chief air vice-marshall Graham Lintott said in the email to staff that he was looking for a win-win situation which would satisfy the claimants' aspirations while ensuring that the air force's interests were protected.
"It is my intention that we continue to focus on our own use of Woodbourne real estate to ensure that it is efficient and appropriate to our needs."
Office of Treaty Settlements director Paul James said Kurahaupo had an ancestral connection to the land Woodbourne was built on and they wanted it returned as a key part of their redress.
RNZAF defence senior communications advisor Anna Sussmilch said Cabinet had directed the RNZAF, the Office of Treaty Settlements and the collective Kurahaupo iwi to begin discussions to "scope possible options".
She said negotiations had not started, but it was understood that the Crown wanted to resolve the Te Tau Ihu (Northern South Island) claim as quickly as possible.
Ms Sussmilch said it was management practice to keep staff informed about what was happening.
The deal also says that if the Defence Force and iwi fail to reach a solution, the iwi would be given the opportunity to explore other Crown land to an equivalent value and significance.
Kurahaupo iwi and Associate Minister of Defence Heather Roy declined to comment.www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/2748553/Base-to-be-returned-to-local-iwi
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 13, 2009 14:45:27 GMT 12
"Kurahaupo say they have ancestral ties to the housing estate, covering about 29 hectares, and the golf course, set on about 27ha."
Err, I never realised they were ancient traditional Maori State Houses, nor that Maori invented golf. You learn something every day.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Aug 13, 2009 15:24:47 GMT 12
Disappointing news from a Government that promsied so much. They just went downhill in a BIG way in my book. Anyone want to move to Australia?
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Post by beagle on Aug 13, 2009 15:59:54 GMT 12
Give them Omaka, which would work out cheaper and that includes a B170. They can use the excess monies to get it to airworthy condition and they have the beginnings of their very own freight airline.....
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 13, 2009 16:08:01 GMT 12
Thankfully the Government doesn't own Omaka Beagle otherwise they probably would give that away too.
I hope the RNZAF moves all their houses to another part of the base so the new owners can plant their traditional cultural grapevines before selling the land to foreigners.
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Post by beagle on Aug 13, 2009 16:11:02 GMT 12
The last time I drove through there, 1/2 of the MQ's seemed empty
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Post by philip on Aug 13, 2009 17:27:25 GMT 12
Thankfully the Government doesn't own Omaka Beagle otherwise they probably would give that away too. I hope the RNZAF moves all their houses to another part of the base so the new owners can plant their traditional cultural grapevines before selling the land to foreigners. Yeah great time for it too, then when they go broke they can put their hand out again www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/business/2747246/Falling-prices-force-sale-of-NZ-vineyards |
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Post by Bruce on Aug 14, 2009 22:59:22 GMT 12
To be fair, the local Iwi have a valid claim for compensation as the Wairau valley was obtained for settlement in an extremely dodgy deal between the NZ Company (the Wakefield family) and someone who alledgly owned the land but didnt. This blew up in the 1840s with the "Wairau Incident" when the Maoris who actually owned the land objected to surveyers marking it up for someone else. the surveyers called for reinforcements and a Posse of 50 settlers Militia came over from Nelson to sort out the matter (Against no less than Te Raupraha and about 300 skilled warriors...) a somewhat tense standoff at the Wairau river ignited into an all out battle when someone (aparently accidently) discharged a musket. Quite a number were killed on both sides, including 10 settlers executed by a subordinate chief whose daughter had been killed in the skirmish. this ignited strong tensions and the Maoris were forceably driven out of the valley. The actual rights and wrongs are extremely complicated and the detail is lost in the mist of time, but the Maori probably do qualify for some recompense. As the Government obviously cant hand back all the valley as most of it is in private hands, the normal practice is to allocate any blocks of crown land. What is then done with that land is where the sticking point usually arises. Often there is no change for those currently occupying the land, except rent is payable. most NZ universities are on Maori land - including the one I work for. the Uni would be renting or paying mortgage on the land anyway, so it doesnt make any difference to them. May be different for Government agencies on freehold crown land though, but they would probably say the Rent income the tribe gain off the land is factored in as part of the compensation settlement.
I dont object to fair settlements of genuine injustice, some things do need to be set straight.
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Post by flyjoe180 on Aug 15, 2009 16:02:52 GMT 12
Will there ever be an end to these claims? All New Zealanders should be treated evenly and what happened 170 or so years ago should be remembered but not used as an excuse, in my opinion. Most of us did not even have relatives involved in the politics and wars of that time, yet because we were born here in later generations we have to pay the collective price for those deeds, wrong or right. What a legacy. The country will go broke the way the politicians of all parties have dealt, and are dealing, with the claims.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 15, 2009 16:26:09 GMT 12
My opinion is that Woodbourne would have had nothing of any cultural significance to anyone, Maori or Caucasian, whatsoever till aviation came along there with the landing of Kingsford Smith and co in the Southern Cross, and the RNZAF built upon that cultural significance to build up what is there today. It's a pity there's no way we can counter claim in the treaty courts and have such bullshit decisions overturned in favour of remaining as Defence land.
Why does the Government at least not envoke their powers of compulsory purchase on these claims on active defence land and other important Government places, and simply pay out the whingers, er, claimants, with compensation so the land remains public owned and any claim is settled and at an end, and they don't have to pay ongoing rent and leases??
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