Little queries oversight of iwi funds

$1 million yearly payments for Waikato River cleanup made without checks

Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little is questioning the lack of checks and balances on public money given to iwi for specific purposes.

Little is seeking advice on why such funds, even if they are part of a Treaty settlement, are not subject to any oversight.

It comes after Newshub’s The Hui programme reported on the case of Roger Pikia, the chairman of Te Arawa River Iwi Trust (Tarit). Pikia is under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over his financial activities, some of which involve the use of Tarit money.

Tarit, as part of its 2010 Treaty settlement, is receiving $1 million a year for 20 years through the Ministry for the Environment to care for the Waikato River. Four other Waikato and Waipa¯ river iwi also receive the annual co-management payment.

“I can confirm that there are no checks or balances. I have asked for advice on why that is because that doesn’t seem right to me,” Little told the Herald.

“It is for a specific purpose, which is the stewardship of the river. I think on that basis, given it’s public money for a specific purpose, then there ought to be some oversight that activities undertaken to be taken are actually taken,” Little said.

“With Treaty settlements, because it is redress for past wrongs and it is a form of partial compensation for what has happened in the past. Typically that’s it. This is not like a Treaty settlement and that is the question I’ve raised with officials.”

Little’s counterpart David Parker, whose Environment Ministry distributes the payments, said checks and balances should be provided within Tarit.

“If things have gone awry within Tarit it is their primary responsibility to address that,” he said in a statement. While the Government was happy to help the trust with any steps that may be useful, the SFO investigation was the appropriate Crown response, Parker said.

He expected the matter to be resolved before the next $1m payment in January.

Act leader David Seymour said: “Money given as a result of Treaty settlements, as redress for past wrongs and with no conditions attached, is understandable. But in cases where public money is given for a particular purpose, the Government must follow up to ensure the money is being spent as it was intended.”

Tarit board member Shane Gibbons said there was frustration among kauma¯tua that the SFO investigation was taking so long.

“There are normal and official and legal remedies that beneficiaries have, and we’re heading down one of those tracks at the moment (in the SFO investigation),” he said.

Te Arawa River Iwi Trust chief executive Eugene Berryman-Kamp said that the board approved budgets and looked over financial reporting. Audited financial accounts went to the three beneficiary iwi annually.

He said there had been no concerns over any of those accounts but since the SFO investigation and subsequent media reporting, all three iwi had been in regular contact with Tarit. Comment was sought from Pikia but he did not respond.