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An adjustment payment has been made to Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu under the relativity mechanisms in their 1995 and 1997 Treaty of Waitangi settlements.

The payments have been guided by the awards of previous arbitrations, and have reduced the number of future arbitration hearings required to resolve remaining disputes.

Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu have each received $1.625 million as a negotiated resolution of a range of disputes concerning the relativity mechanism payments made in 2012 and 2017.

“The relativity mechanisms are an important part of the settlements agreed with both Waikato-Tainui and Ngāi Tahu to ensure the value of their Treaty settlements maintains their relative size compared with the total value of all Treaty of Waitangi settlements to date,” Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little said.

“The relativity mechanisms must be honoured, as with any other commitment made in a Treaty settlement.

“I would like to acknowledge the constructive approach that both iwi have taken, which has resulted in this negotiated resolution.”

The Crown and both iwi have agreed to resolve disputes relating to the 2012 and 2017 relativity mechanism payments through confidential arbitration.

Both iwi can request a payment every five years to ensure the real value of their settlements remains at 17-percent (Waikato-Tainui) and 16.1-percent (Ngāi Tahu) of total Treaty settlement expenditure. The next payment can be requested by the iwi later in 2022.