$5.03-billion in 115 settlements

The 115 Treaty of Waitangi settlements listed below totalling $5.03-billion were compiled from details on the Office of Crown-Maori Relations website and includes claimant group, date of settlement, and dollar value to June 30, 2026. The list of completed settlements is of those that have been passed into law. “Legislation introduced” lists settlement bills before Parliament awaiting completion. Further groups are at the earlier stages being having their mandate recognised, terms of negotiation signed, agreement in principle signed, deed of settlement initialled, and deed of settlement signed. The Waitangi Tribunal has produced a number of general reports detailing grievances around the regions, but has not necessarily investigated the specific claims of most claimant groups listed here. Financial redress is calculated using a formula according to which the tribe that had the largest area in 1840 and the most members in 2026 will get the most money.1

A request under the Official Information Act in 2025 resulted in a much lower figure of $2.739-billion to February 1, 2025. Because amounts in the table were extracted from summaries on the Office of Treaty Settlements website, the amount on the table and the amount provided by the treaty settlements office should reconcile, but don’t.

1  Letter, Office of Treaty Settlements to He Toa Takitini, September 5, 2013. http://www.hetoatakitini.iwi.nz/uploads///Quantum_factors_for_He_Toa_Takitini_Letter-_5_September_2013.pdf

* Taranaki tribe Ngati Tama announced in 2012 that it lost its entire $14.5-million settlement received in 2003 blaming poor investments

*Central North Island Forests Iwi Collective also received $223-million in forest rentals held in trust since 1989. That is not included in the financial redress total because it was regarded as tribal money from 1989.

* By mid-2013, bad investments and bailouts were blamed for wiping out almost half the value off Taupo tribe Tuwharetoa’s $66-million share of the 2008 “Treelord’s” settlement.

*Waikato River. The government argues that this is not historical redress and so should not be included in the settlement total. The $211.8-million total includes all payments for 27 years. A total of $130.8-million was paid up front.

*Ngati Manawa also received $12.2-million worth of Central North Island forestland included in the Central North Island deal.

Sources

1. Letter, Office of Treaty Settlements to He Toa Takitini, September 5, 2013. http://www.hetoatakitini.iwi.nz/uploads///Quantum_factors_for_He_Toa_Takitini_Letter-_5_September_2013.pdf