30 Oct 2012

Treaty deal a dream come true

6:33 am on 30 October 2012

The son of the late Dame Whina Cooper - who led a memorable march to Parliament in 1975 - says the signing of a Far North's iwi treaty settlement has achieved his mother's dreams.

Te Rarawa and the Crown have signed a settlement worth up to $70 million at the weekend.

The package includes two former Landcorp farms, Crown forest land, and a cash transfer of $33 million.

Joe Cooper is certain his mother would have been very happy to see Te Rarawa sign the settlement.

She led a hikoi from Cape Reinga to Parliament in the mid 1970s because she wanted to stop Maori land rights being eroded.

Mr Cooper says the weekend's signing would have fulfilled her aims and aspirations for the tribe's lands.