Iwi leaders condemn Government’s scrapping of council agreements

A government decision to scrap Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe agreements has halted or disrupted 11 iwi-council partnership processes across the Horizons region.

Ngāti Rangi and Ngaa Rauru leaders have criticised the decision as unwinding “so much effort” and straining Treaty relationships.

Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe are statutory agreements tailored to local needs, which set out how iwi and councils work together under the Resource Management Act (RMA).

They do not give iwi “veto” or final decision-making powers over resource consents.

The Herald reported on July 20 a suite of new resource management reforms recommended by Parliament’s environment select committee this week.

While existing Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe were initially included in the reforms, the Government later decided not to retain the agreements after a rise in new requests and opposition from groups including Federated Farmers and the Taxpayers’ Union.

The Horizons Regional Council received 11 initiation letters from iwi authorities in their region by late June.

Iwi include Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Rangitāne o Manawatū, Rangitāne o Tāmaki nui-ā-Rua, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Ngāti Tukorehe, Mōkai Pātea and Muaūpoko.

Horizons chair Nikki Riley told Local Democracy lots of work by staff had gone into the “awful lot” of requests, and none was completed.

Most iwi would have been looking to establish Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe before the announcement, she said.

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“We have MOUs and simpler versions of iwi agreements that we’ve been working on for many years, but no initiations had been formally received by council.”

Riley was confident there would be a new pathway for iwi-council engagement, but it was difficult to sketch it out until the laws were passed.

Ngaa Rauru post-settlement governance entity tumu whakarae (chief executive) Tahinganui Hina said the changes were “extremely disappointing”.

Tahinganui Hina of Te Kaahui o Rauru said the Government's scrapping of Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe perpetuated poor behaviour. Photo / Te Kaahui o Rauru

They “diminished” the community input and perpetuated poor behaviour, he said.

“The purpose of our Treaty settlements is to shift the relationship that we have with the Crown and its agencies.

“We’ve done a considerable amount of work in building towards these relationship agreements.

“This was the mechanism that was created, so we said, ‘cool if that’s the way you want to go, we can work with that’.

Hina said they had “put in so much effort” working with Taranaki, Whanganui and Horizons councils, only for the Government to “change their stance”.

Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe agreements were just another mechanism to provide clarity, he said.

They were “complementary” to Te Awa Tupua, their longstanding relationship-building with councils, environmental protection work and community identity.

Hina said Ngāti Maru had been a “guiding light” in their pursuit of Mana Whakahono-ā-Rohe agreements.

“They actually signed, I think it might’ve been last week, to then have that flipped on its head.”

Ngāti Rangi governance board chair Tomairangi Mareikura said the changes felt like “another disillusioning blow” to their Treaty relationship.

Tomairangi Mareikura, chairwoman of Ngāti Rangi post-settlement governance entity Te Tōtarahoe o Paerangi, says processes they entered into in good faith are being treated with callous disregard. Photo / Tuakana Te Tana

“Ngāti Rangi is both dispirited and demoralised that processes we entered into in good faith are being treated with such callous disregard,” she said.

Ngāti Rangi were working on agreements with Ruapehu, Horizons, Whanganui and Rangitikei councils.

“It defies belief that with one stroke of the pen, lobbyists can influence Government to overlook the value of relationships with iwi,” Mareikura said.

The Crown failed to uphold the commitments and responsibilities it had with iwi, Mareikura said.

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said the changes shouldn’t affect their district in “any great way”.

“We have our own arrangements, so unlikely to affect us directly, at the first glance anyway.”

They already had separate “hybrid” agreements with iwi partners in the district, such as Ngāti Rangi and Ngāti Hauā, he said.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said councils could now enter into “narrowly scoped” agreements to determine how iwi participate in statutory planning and processes required to give effect to Treaty settlement redress.

“Clear guardrails will be included in the legislation to prevent scope creep,” Bishop said.

Horizons strategy, regulation and science group manager Dr Elizabeth Daly said Horizons was considering the Government’s announcement.

“Horizons has been adhering to legislated timeframes for meeting with those who initiate Mana Whakahono ā Rohe.”

Te Awa Tupua is Treaty settlement legislation and thus would not be affected.

“It contains different instruments than Mana Whakahono ā Rohe,” Daly said.

MP Carl Bates said the new system honoured agreements under the RMA between the Crown and iwi.

“For 30 years, the Crown signed a succession of legally binding agreements with iwi that we intend to honour,” he said.

The transition to the new system was extended from 30 to 39 months.

Bates said it was projected to boost GDP by $3.1 billion annually.

Noam Mānuka Lazarus (Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara) is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle.