53 Human Rights Commission The Treaty Settlements Māori land and rates Policy and Waitangi recommendations Tribunal recommendations The following secondary recommendations could The following secondary recommendations could be further explored and developed within the National Action Plan Against Racism. See Appendix One for the full list. The government consider the following actions: • Review the ’full and final’ Treaty Settlements policy because that process was forced on tangata whenua and has returned less than one per cent of land that belonged to Māori whenua owners. • Investigate pathways to return and restore land to iwi, hapū and whānau. • Investigate pathways to return and restore land to iwi, hapū and whānau, noting that historical claims have returned less than one per cent of land that belonged to Māori whenua owners. • Empower the anti-racism mandate of the Waitangi Tribunal, by strengthening the levers to ensure that the recommendations of the Tribunal, to the Crown and Local Government, are taken seriously and actioned. • Hear claims and make recommendations for the return of private land under the control of the Crown and Local Government, which the Crown and/or Local Government is considering ‘freeing up’ for sale and development. • Recognise the Waitangi Tribunal as a Te Tiriti o Waitangi constitutional body. be further explored and developed within the National Action Plan Against Racism. See Appendix One for the full list. The government consider the following actions: • Supporting the restoration of tino rangatiratanga so Māori landowners have control over their land and review the rates system for Māori land. • Amending the Whenua Māori Rating Amendment Bill to direct Local Government to strike out all rates currently owing on Māori land and if rates are collected in future, these rates are returned to benefit Māori whenua owners. • Develop easier pathways to return dispossessed land to iwi, hapū and whānau. This includes recognition of Māori land tenure, collective stewardship, collective self-determination, and collective sustainable self-sufficiency. • The Minister of Local Government establishes an independent body, with tino rangatiratanga partners (supported by the Māori Trustee) to take urgent action to review the way Māori whenua is rated so the benefits are returned directly to the owners. The Government could consider the following actions: • Review and reassess rates on Māori land to reflect the owners’ access to their land, and/or any obstructed use and development of their land. • Undertake surveys to confirm the correct boundaries of Māori land blocks.