Rotorua iwi school land dispute: Kaumātua says Ministry of Education breached Treaty of Waitangi
23 Dec, 2020 05:00 AM
5 minutes to read
A dispute is brewing over the location of a new school with a local kaumātua saying the Ministry of Education should never have bought the land where it s intended to be built. Dr Ken Kennedy claims the Ministry of Education has breached the Treaty of Waitangi by buying land near Rotorua for the purpose of building a new school for Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai.
Kennedy, who is speaking out as co-chairman of Ngāti Rangiteaorere Koromatua Council, said the land, which was owned by a private farmer, was taken from Ngāti Rangiteaorere by the Crown decades ago and should have been offered to his iwi for sale first.