New Zealand Law: Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Act 2018

Summary

Ngāti Tūwharetoa is the fifth largest iwi in New Zealand and has a population of approximately 35,000 members. The Ngāti Tūwharetoa area of interest is centered on Lake Taupo (Taupomoana) and the central plateau and covers most of the central North Island and Te Arawa regions. The Deed provides for the establishment of a statutory board, Te Kōpua Kānapanapa, to restore, protect and enhance the environmental, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the Taupo catchment, to provide strategic leadership on the sustainable and integrated management of the environment in the Taupo catchment and to provide a mechanism for Ngāti Tūwharetoa to exercise mana and kaitiakitanga over the Taupo catchment in partnership with local authorities. Te Kōpua Kānapanapa, established under the Act, consists of eight members: four members appointed by Te Kotahitanga o Ngāti Tūwharetoa (the Ngāti Tūwharetoa governance entity), two members appointed by the Waikato Regional Council and two members appointed by the Taupo District Council. The Deed also provides for the vesting of 32 Crown-owned sites to Ngati Tuwharetoa. As contained in Section 172 of the Act, Ngāti Tūwharetoa’s vision is founded on the following principles derived from tikanga: (a) the principle of mauri: the health and well-being of the Taupo Catchment reflects and nourishes the health and well-being of Ngāti Tūwharetoa: (b) the principle of mana: the active protection and restoration of the relationship of Ngāti Tūwharetoa with the Taupo Catchment (including Ngāti Tūwharetoa’s mana whakahaere and kaitiaki role): (c) the principle of te whanake: the sustainable development of Ngāti Tūwharetoa’s taonga, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, and the whole community: (d) the principle of integrated management: the natural resources within the Taupo Catchment are interdependent and should be managed in an integrated manner.