Iwi opposed to the signing of a Treaty settlement for an iwi collective stretching from north of Auckland to Coromandel were locked out of Parliament today as the signing ceremony went ahead inside.

Inside Parliament's Grand Hall, the Government signed the Pare Hauraki collective redress deed with the Hauraki Collective of 12 iwi.

Outside, Tauranga Moana, a group of iwi, mourned for what they say they will lose as a result. They wailed and shouted as iwi signatories arrived at Parliament to attend the signing ceremony.

The iwi, led by Ngāi Te Rangi, have protested the settlement, which they say will give Hauraki iwi mana whenua status in Tauranga.

 

In May, Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little put off the signing after Tauranga Māori marched on Parliament to demand the Crown make way for a tikanga Māori process to settle disputes between Tauranga Moana and Hauraki iwi.

But last week Little said significant progress had been made with the collective redress deeds for the Marutūāhu and Pare Hauraki iwi.

"There will still be outstanding issues between iwi over these settlements and I expect all parties to use the period ahead to engage in tikanga-based processes to deal with these issues.

"Initialling the Marutūāhu Iwi Collective Redress Deed is one step closer to settlement and it's now up to the Marutūāhu iwi claimant community to consider ratification," he said.

"Advancing these settlements is a vital step in coming to terms with our history and making reparation for past injustices. It's time to move ahead and allow Pare Hauraki and Marutūāhu to settle their historical claims.

Kaumatua Enoka Rolleston, who was emotional as he watched other Maori go inside, said they were at Parliament to witness their mokopuna's future being signed away.

"We're not going to give in. It's my children, my mokopuna's future."

Labour MP Tamati Coffey, who has connections to the iwi, was outside with them today.

"It's really sad," he said.

"I promised that I would walk alongside Tauranga Moana. I will continue to, I did that today. I intend to be, if they'll accept me, part of that tikanga process to happen after this if that's what the iwi want, to try to resolve some of these outstanding issues."

He wouldn't comment on whether the iwi should have been locked out.