Current co-governance projects
This list has been compiled from news articles and the websites of local authorities, hapū and iwi, co-governance bodies and the government’s Treaty Settlements website. We encourage you to explore the links provided to learn more about the significance of places to hapū and iwi, the reasons behind Treaty settlements, and how co-governance and co-management agreements are working. At the time of writing many councils and organisations are planning co-governance arrangements. We will update this page as this happens.
If we have missed out a co-governed or co-managed project, please let us know by email.
On this page
Te Tai Tokerau | Northland
Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe Board
Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe/Ninety Mile Beach is well-known by tangata whenua for Te Ara Wairua – the spiritual pathway between the living and the dead and the route the deceased take on the journey to their ancient homeland. The Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhe Board was established as a result of the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Act 2014. It is a co-governance partnership composed of eight members - four representatives from Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto, Ngāti Kurī, Te Aupouri and four representatives from the Far North District Council, and Northland Regional Council. Decisions are made by a 70% majority. The purpose of the Board is:
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Protecting and preserving the beach from inappropriate use and development and ensuring resources are preserved and enhanced for present and future generations
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Recognising the importance of the beach for Te Hiku o Te Ika iwi/hapū and ensuring continued access to mahinga kai
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Recognising and providing for spiritual, cultural and historic relationships with the beach.
Find more information on their website.
Patukarakeke Hapū
has had a Mana Whakahono a Rohe Agreement with both the Northland Regional and Whangarei District Councils since December 2020. The Agreement sets out how the hapū and councils will jointly approach future resource management issues within the hapū rohe (area).
Sport Northland
Sport Northland is governed by a Board of Trustees, led by Tangata Tiriti and Tangtata Whenua Co-Chairs. The six other Trustees are even numbers of representatives from local government and Te Kahu o Taonui (Te Taitokerau Iwi Chairs Collective). The Board describes itself as “a Tiriti-honouring board that defines, monitors and adjusts strategy through an equitable bi-cultural partnership” and acknowledges He Whakaputanga/Declaration of Independence (1835) and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as New Zealand's founding documents.
Taharoa Domain covers 538 hectares of crown owned land which has been set aside as recreation reserve and three dune lakes – Lakes Taharoa, Waikare and Kai Iwi – which are valued for their clear blue waters, sandy beaches, scenic qualities and varied recreation opportunities. In 2000 the Kaipara District Council and mana whenua embarked jointly on a review of the existing Taharoa Domain Management Plan. Matauranga Māori was included as part of the data gathering. The new Taharoa Domain Reserve Management Plan is overseen by a co-governance committee with equal representation of mana whenua and local government. The Chair rotates annually among members and holds the casting vote. Decisions made by the committee, however, still require Council approval.
Taharoa Domain/Kai Iwi Lakes
Kaipara Moana Remediation Programme
Kaipara Moana is New Zealand’s largest harbour system and is at risk of degrading beyond repair because of sediment flows into the harbour. A joint governance committee was established in 2020. It is made up of six Kaipara Uri representatives (from Ngā Maunga Whakahi o Kaipara, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whatua and Te Uri o Hau) and six council representatives (three from Auckland Council and three from Northland Regional Council). The committee makes decisions where possibl by consensus, but reserves the right to decide by majority vote. It oversees the Kaipara Moana Remediation Programme (KMR) which has a dual focus on reducing sediment flows into the Kaipara Moana and developing local people and businesses through nature-based training and employment.
Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara
Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki Kaipara (formerly the Parakai Recreation Reserve Board), is a co-governance and co-management entity that is kaitiaki of Kaipātiki in the township of Parakai. It was established following a settlement in 2011 between Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara and the Crown to redress Crown breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. The governors of Te Poari are appointed by Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara and the Auckland Council in equal numbers. The Kaipātiki Reserve Management Plan sets out the agreed management principles of Kaitiakitanga (Restoring natural features), Ahi kā (Sustaining people and place), Manaakitanga (Sharing our experience) and Whai Oranga (Promoting healthy activity), the entity’s vision for the next 50 years and includes the histories of Ngāti Whatua o Ōrakei and settlers.
Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board
As part of their Treaty settlement, the land now called Whenua Rangatira (located between Ōkāhu and Mission Bays) and the Pourewa Creek Recreation Reserve (located in the Tāmaki Basin) was restored to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in 2011. These reserves, part of the original 700-acre Ōrākei papakāinga, are now managed by the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Reserves Board (a co-governance entity with equal numbers of representatives from the Ngāti Whatua owners and Auckland Council) for the benefit of both the hapū and the people of Auckland, with the Auckland Council meeting all “reasonable” costs. The Chairperson (and casting vote if consensus is not reached) is reserved for a Ngāti Whatua representative in recognition of their traditional authority over the area. Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have designed a framework for both the Pourewa Reserve and the Whenua Rangatira lands that incorporates aspects of land protection, education, culture, community, entrepreneurship and engagement with hapū and the wider community. Māra kai and māra rongoā have been established, and food is delivered free to Ngāti Whatua Ōrakei whānau and the Auckland City Mission.
See what is happening at Pourewa Reserve.
In 2014, 13 mana whenua iwi and hapū of Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland collectively settled historic Treaty of Waitangi breaches with the Crown and secured the returned ownership of 14 Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains) on the condition that the maunga are held in trust for the common benefit of the iwi/hapū of the Tāmaki Collective and all other people of Auckland. The maunga remain as public reserves and are governed by the Tūpuna Maunga Authority, the statutory authority established under the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014. The Authority is made up of an equal number of members from Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and Auckland Council. It makes decisions by consensus if possible, or by majority vote. Auckland Council is responsible for the routine management of the maunga under the direction of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority.
Tūpuna Maunga Authority
Newton Central School /Te Kura a Rito o Newton
Newton Central School in Auckland has had a co-governance model in place for almost 25 years. The eleven-person school board has co-chairs and an almost even split of co-opted Māori members (chosen by agreement at a whānau hui) and elected parent and teacher representatives. Decision-making is by consensus.
Read more about how co-governance and consensus decision-making operate at Newton Central School.
Western Springs College/ Ngā Puna o Waiōrea
Western Springs College and Ngā Puna o Waiōrea make up a state co-educational co-governance secondary school in Auckland which characterises itself as “ a ‘waka hourua’ – a double hulled canoe of English medium and Māori immersion”. Both schools operate collaboratively from one site, and students flow between the schools, according to their year level and course choices. School governance and management are based on a commitment to power sharing according to Treaty of Waitangi responsibilities.
Read a copy of the Board’s constitution.
Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana
In 2013 the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari project was established to research and make recommendations about how to reverse the decline in both environmental quality and abundance of resources in the Hauraki Gulf. The project was led by a co-governance group with equal membership between mana whenua and local authorities. A stakeholder working group made up of mana whenua and a range of stakeholders from various communities of interest within and around the Hauraki Gulf produced a marine spatial plan in 2017. The government released a Government Strategy in response to the Sea Change proposals in 2021.
Waikato
The Waikato River Authority (WRA) was set up on 25 November 2010 under Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010 and the Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Act 2010 which creates a co-governance and co-management framework between the Crown and river iwi. A third piece of co-management legislation covering Ngāti Maniapoto - the Ngā Wai o Maniapoto (Waipa River) Act 2012 - came into effect in April 2012.
The WRA is governed by 10 board members – five appointed by the Crown, and the other five from Waikato iwi ((Tainui, Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Raukawa and Maniapoto). By including appointments from the five iwi, decision-making authority is shared with specific communities of interest, bringing distinctive knowledge, expertise and relationships to the decision making process. The Authority has two co-chairs: one Crown appointee and one iwi appointee. The members must exercise the ‘highest level of good faith engagement’ and generally make decisions by consensus.
There are separate Joint Management Agreements between river iwi and local authorities to promote the restoration of the river. One example is the co-management agreement between Waikato Regional Council and Pūniu River Care, established by Shannon Te Huia in 2015. A research project has shown that the work done by Pūniu River Care has positive outcomes not only for the river, but also for those working in the marae-based employment.
Read more about the Waikato River Authority.
Waikato River Authority
Ngā Wai o Waipā Co-Governance Forum
Five members from the Maniapoto Māori Trust Board and one member from each of the five participating councils (Waikato Regional Council, Waitomo District Council, Otorohanga District Council, Waipa District Council and Waikato District Council). The Forum has co-chairs.
Waikato-Tainui/Hamilton City Council Co-Governance Forum
The Forum supports Waikato-Tainui and Council to:
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build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship
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provide opportunities for collaboration that promote better wellbeing outcomes through agreed projects
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meet obligations to restore and protect the Waikato River.
The Forum has five members from the City Council and five members from Waikato-Tainui.
Te Kōpu ā Kānapanapa Co-governance Committee
Te Kōpu ā Kānapanapa is a permanent, joint committee of the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) and Taupo District Council (TDC), established under the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Act 2018. This Committee is made up of eight members – four from Ngāti Tūwharetoa and two each from WRC and TDC.
The Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust is an example of a co-governance arrangement between mana whenua, local government and the local community created independently of any legislative or Treaty settlement conditions. The Trust was established in 2001 with the goals of eradicating predators and restoring the ecology of the scenic reserve. The Board of Trustees follows a co-governance model, with mana whenua, landowners and the community each having up to three representatives. It is co-chaired by a mana whenua representative and a landowner representative. The Trust effectively co-manages the scenic reserve with Waipa District Council. Tikanga Māori is incorporated in governance and day-to-day management decisions.
Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
The Waitomo Caves have been co-managed since 1990 by the Ruapuha Uekaha Hapū Trust and the Department of Conservation (which administers the Crown’s interest).
Te Moana-a-Toi | Bay of Islands
Te Maru o Kaituna River Authority
Te Maru o Kaituna River Authority is a co-governance partnership made up of iwi representatives from Tapuika Iwi Authority Trust, Te Kapu Ō Waitaha, Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Trust, Te Tāhuhu o Tawakeheimoa Trust, Ngāti Whakaue, and council representatives from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana, Rotorua Lakes Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council. Decisions are made by consensus. It is a permanent joint committee of the four councils, which means that it cannot be dis-established without everyone’s approval.
The Authority was set up under the Tapuika Claims Settlement Act 2014. Its purpose is the restoration, protection, and enhancement of the environmental, cultural and spiritual health and well-being of the Kaituna River.
Rangitāiki River Forum
The Rangitāiki River Forum is a statutory joint committee set up under the Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Act 2012 and the Ngāti Manawa Claims Settlement Act 2012. The Forum has been established to protect and enhance the environmental, cultural, and spiritual health and wellbeing of the Rangitāiki River and its catchments, for the benefit of present and future generations. It is a co-governance partnership made up of representatives from Ngati Whare, Ngati Manawa, Ngati Awa, Tūwharetoa (Bay of Plenty), Ngāti Hineura and Tūhoe Te Uru Taumata, as well as councillors from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Whakatane District Council and Taupo District Council.
Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group
The Tarawera Awa Restoration Strategy Group is a permanent co-governance partnership established under the Ngāti Rangitihi Claims Settlement Act 2022 in recognition of the Crown’s failure to protect the Tarawera River from pollution associated with the Tasman Pulp and Paper mill. The group is made up of members from Ngāti Rangitihi, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Mākino Iwi Authority, Ngāti Tūwharetoa (BOP) Settlement Trust and fromToi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Rotorua Lakes Council, Kawerau District Council and Whakatāne District Council. It has the task of supporting, coordinating and promoting the integrated restoration of the mauri of the Tarawera River catchment.
Ngā Poutiriao o Mauao
Nga Poutiriao o Mauao/Mt Maunganui is one of several examples of co-management entities, where mana whenua own the land and co-manage it as public space with a local authority. The joint board has eight members: the Mauao Trust (comprising Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngati Pukenga Ngāti Ranginui and Waitaha) and Tauranga City Council each appoint four members. The board is chaired by a representative appointed by the Mauao Trust, and the deputy chair is one of the councillors. The joint management of Mauao is guided by the 2018 Mauao Historic Reserve Management Plan, which was created though public consultation and through the aspirations of the Mauao Trust to increase tangata whenua presence in the reserve.
Te Urewera Board
The Te Urewera Act 2014 established Te Urewera as a legal entity, and set up the Te Urewera Board to exercise the rights, powers and duties of Te Urewera and provide governance of Te Urewera. The Board has nine members - six appointed by Tuhoe Te Uru Taumata and three appointed by the Minister of the Environment. It aims to make decisions by consensus. The Board is charged with governing Te Urewera so as to strengthen the connection between Tūhoe and Te Urewera, preserve its ecosystems and biodiversity, and provide for continued public use and recreation.
The Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group
The Te Urewera Act 2014 established Te Urewera as a legal entity, and set up the Te Urewera Board to exercise the rights, powers and duties of Te Urewera and provide governance of Te Urewera. The Board has nine members - six appointed by Tuhoe Te Uru Taumata and three appointed by the Minister of the Environment. It aims to make decisions by consensus. The Board is charged with governing Te Urewera so as to strengthen the connection between Tūhoe and Te Urewera, preserve its ecosystems and biodiversity, and provide for continued public use and recreation.
Read more about the Strategy and Vision of the Rotorua Te Arawa Lake Strategy Group.
Te Tairāwhiti | Gisborne
The Waiapu Accord
The Waiapu Accord is a joint governance agreement signed in 2014 between Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou, Gisborne District Council and Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) as a result of the Ngāti Porou Claims Settlement Act 2012. The Joint Governance group is made up of two members from Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou, one from the Gisborne District Council and one from the Ministry. The chair is one of these people – to be decided by the group. The Accord is set to run until 2113, and is to work collaboratively work with landowners to address the health of the Waiapu River Catchment, where 90% of the population is Ngāti Porou. It has developed Waiapu Koka Huhua, a plan for the restoration of the catchment.
Te Runanganui o Ngāti Porou also has a Joint Management Agreement with the Gisborne District Council set up in 2015 under S36B of the Resource Management Act. The JMA enables the runanganui and Council to jointly perform the local authority functions and decision-making that applies to all land and water within the Waiapu catchment area. Each body has equal representation on panels for resource consent hearings. An additional person to be chairperson is chosen by the panel members. The chairperson has the casting vote in the event of a split vote.
The Gisborne District Council has an agreement with Ngai Tamanuhiri, Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga a Mahaki through a Local Leadership Body. This was established as a statutory board under the Ngāi Tamanuhiri Claims Settlement Act 2012, but did not begin operating until 2017. It is made up of equal council and iwi representatives – two each from Ngai Tamanuhiri, Rongowhakaata and Te Aitanga a Mahaki, along with the Mayor and five councillors – enabling Council and iwi to work together at a governance level to develop policies and strategies to address significant issues, and co-ordinate the management of the natural and physical resources within the rohe the iwi oversee.
Te Matau-a-Māui | Hawke's Bay
Te Komiti Muriwai o Te Whanga
A permanent statutory committee established under the Ahuriri Hapū Claims Settlement Bill in 2020 to acknowledge the seven hapū of Ahuriri as kaitiaki and enable them to protect and preserve the environmental, economic, social, spiritual, historical and cultural values of Te Muriwai o Te Whanga for the future generations. The Komiti has four members appointed by hapū, three by local and regional Councils, and one by the Minister of Conservation.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Planning Committee
This co-governance committee was established in 2014 as a result of Treaty settlement negotiations. It has an equal number of Regional Councillors and Post Settlement Governance Entity (PSGE) representatives, and co-chairs. It aims to achieve decisions on a consensus basis - failing consensus, an 80% majority is required. It oversees the review and development of the Regional Policy Statement and regional plans for the Hawke’s Bay region. If the Council does not adopt a recommendation made by the Committee, it must refer the matter back to the Regional Planning Committee for further consideration. In other words, the Council cannot make a final decision that departs from the Committee's recommendation.
Taranaki
Ngāmotu New Plymouth Centre City Strategy
This Strategy, which sets the strategic direction for New Plymouth’s city centre over the next 30 years, has been designed in partnership with mana whenua Ngāti Te Whiti hapū. The New Plymouth District Council and Ngāti te Whiti are currently working on design principles to guide development of the city centre through to 2050.
Taranaki Maunga
Agreement has been reached between Ngā Iwi o Taranaki and the Crown for co-governance and co-management of Taranaki Maunga and the 36,000 hectare national park surrounding it. As at 26 May, 2023, the Deed of Settlement between the iwi and the Crown has gone out to the Taranaki hapū for ratification. If iwi ratify the deed there will be a formal signing event, and the bill will then go to Parliament to become law. Under the Deed of Settlement Taranaki Maunga will be provided legal personhood, known as Te Kāhui Tupua, to protect the interests of the Maunga and enhance its mana. Te Kāhui Tupua and its interests will be jointly managed by Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi, a board consisting of equal numbers of Crown and iwi representatives.
Read details of the history behind the agreement.
Manawatū/Whanganui
Manawatū-Whanganui Climate Action Joint Committee
Established in 2021, the Climate Action Joint Committee is made up of seven tangata whenua members (appointed by Horizons Regional Council on the recommendation of iwi members) and seven territorial authority members with the mayor from each of the region’s city and district councils. The Committee has co-chairs. The purpose of the Committee is to:
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To receive scientific evidence and Mātauranga Māori to inform strategic leadership on how the Manawatū-Whanganui Region could achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation; and
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To inform the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives, share information, and facilitate collaborative action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate change impacts.
Read the Agreement and Terms of Reference.
Horizons Regional Council Freshwater Management Units
The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) directs regional councils to identify areas called Freshwater Management Units (FMUs). Horizons Regional Council has stated that one of its three key considerations in establishing its FMUs will be that:
FMUs should reflect co-governance/self-governance (Te Awa Tupua)
The ability for proposed freshwater management units to provide for river settlements under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ensuring that the Oranga Wai programme upholds the aims of the river strategies being developed by the Post Settlement Governance Entities. In the case of Whanganui that is Te Heke Ngahuru and for the Whangaehu it is Te Waiū o te Ika. There may be other river settlements in the future as well.
Ngā Wai Tōtā o Te Waiū (Whangaehu River Entity)
Ngā Wai Tōtā was established by the Ngāti Rangi Claims Settlement Act in 2019. Under the settlement, Te Waiū-o-te-Ika (Whanagaehu River) was recognised as a living and indivisible whole. The role of Ngā Wai Tōtā is to advance the health and wellbeing of the Te-Waiū-o-Te-Ika catchment. The group is made up of representatives from mana whenua and the local Regional and District Councils.
Te Awa Tupua
The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act in 2017 established “Te Awa Tupua as a legal identity, recognised as ‘an indivisible and living whole comprising the Whanganui River from the mountains to the sea, incorporating all its physical and metaphysical elements’. Its rights are upheld by two people, one chosen by the river tribes and the other by government. Te Kōpuka nā Te Awa Tupua, a co-governance strategy group, is made up of people and organisations with interests in the catchment of the Whanganui River, including iwi, local and central government, commercial and recreational users and environmental groups. The purpose of Te Kōpuka is to act collaboratively to advance the environmental, social, cultural and economic health and wellbeing of Te Awa Tupua.
See a short documentary about hapū and iwi relationships with the river
Lead negotiator Gerrard Albert says the Whanganui river tribes have moved beyond co-governance
Read about “the history of struggle that led to this point, as well as the significance, values and framework behind Te Awa Tupua”
Read legal scholar Linda Te Aho’s account of the legal framework for Te Awa Tupua
Te Pūwaha
Te Pūwaha (‘the gateway’ or ‘river mouth’) is a collaborative Whanganui port redevelopment project, a partnership of Whanganui iwi and four other groups invested in the project: Whanganui District Council, Horizons Regional council, Q-West Boat Builders and Whanganui District Employment Training Trust. The project is being conducted in line with Tupua te Kawa, the innate value set of Te Awa Tupua, under the guidance and leadership of its hapū toward a whole of community approach. Those who work on the project complete inductions to learn about the iwi values guiding the project.
Te Pūwaha operates on a model called He Ara Tuku Rau based on Tupua te Kawa which sets goals of abundance in mouri ora (environment), mouri awa (river) and mouri tangata (community). It is a model that the Te Pūwaha governance group believe can be replicated elsewhere, and which won them the top prize in the Best Practice Collaboration category at the Economic Development NZ Awards in October 2022.
Greater Wellington Region
Wairarapa Moana Statutory Board
Wairarapa Moana comprises 10,000 acres of wetland and open water, and was recently granted the status of a Wetland of International Importance. The Wairarapa Statutory Board was established by the Rohe o Rongokako Joint Redress Bill which gives effect to cultural redress shared between Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki nui-a-Rua, Rangitāne o Wairarapa, and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua in their rohe from Cape Palliser to Cape Turnagain. The Board is composed of members appointed by Rangitāne, Ngāti Kahungunu, the Minister of Conservation, the Wellington Regional Council, and the South Wairarapa District Council, and its role is “to act as a guardian of Wairarapa Moana and the Ruamāhanga River catchment for the benefit of current and future generations.”.
Parangarahu Lakes Area Co-Management Plan
Greater Wellington Regional Council and Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust (PNBST), a private trust that manages the assets of the Taranaki Whānui iwi, jointly manage the Parangarahu Lakes Area through a ‘Rōpū Tiaki’ or guardianship group set up in 2012. PNBST owns the lakebeds, former esplanade reserves of the lakes and the dendroglyph (tree carving) sites. The Department of Conservation manages the water and air columns above the lakebeds.
The Rōpū Tiaki’s objectives are to develop a long-term vision and co-management plan for the Parangarahu Lakes Area and to advise and recommend annual work programmes for the area.
Greater Wellington and Whaitua Committees
Whaitua committees are groups of local people tasked with recommending ways to maintain and improve the quality of Greater Wellington’s fresh water. Committees are made up of local community members, iwi representatives, local authority representatives, and Greater Wellington representatives. Whaitua Committees achieve a community vision for water by combining mātauranga Māori, citizen science, community knowledge, and expert information.
Read the Implementation Programme from Te Whaitua te Whanganui-a-Tara
Te Waipounamu/South Island
Kotahitanga mō te Taiao Alliance
Kotahitanga mō te Taiao is an alliance formed in 2017 by all the Councils and some of the iwi in the top of the South Island, and the Department of Conservation. The goal is to develop and fund collaborative conservation projects across the Buller, Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman regions, with more than a dozen projects set up so far. The group’s focus is on landscape-scale conservation projects that also have environmental, social, economic, and cultural benefits. It aims to “work by consensus to achieve outcomes that no one entity can do alone”. The bAlliance uses a co-governance model to shape overall strategic direction, and individual projects involve co-management at an operational level.
Members of the Alliance are: Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust; Te Pātaka a Ngāti Kōata Trust; Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia Trust; Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rārua; Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust; Te Rūnanga O Toa Rangatira Inc; Te Atiawa o Te Waka-a-Māui Trust; Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust; Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae; Te Runanga o Kaikōura; Tasman District Council; Nelson City Council; Marlborough District Council; West Coast Regional Council; Kaikōura District Council; Buller District Council and Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai.
See their co-designed strategic document.
Te Tauihu inter-generational strategy
The Te Tauihu Intergenerational Strategy is a long-term economic development strategy for the Te Tau Ihu/Top of the South, incorporating the Marlborough and Nelson-Tasman Districts. It focuses on social, cultural, environmental and economic development across the Top of the South, with the aim of intergenerational success and “being good ancestors”.
The strategy has come about from a collaborative effort convened by Wakatū Incorporation (a private company owned by the four iwi of Te Tau Ihu ) in partnership with three councils (Marlborough District, Nelson City and Tasman District), Ngā Iwi o Te Tauihu (Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Kuia, Rangitāne, Ngāti Tama, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Rārua), Central Government, Nelson Tasman Regional Development Agency, Nelson & Marlborough Chambers of Commerce, business, community and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. It was launched in 2020 after two years of wide consultation.
Watch videos of some of the Te Tauihu talks.
Find out more about Wakatū Inc
Whakatū/Te Tai o Aorere | Nelson/Tasman
Te Hoiere/Pelorus Restoration Project
The first project initiated by Kotahitanga mō te Taiao, aimed at improving freshwater and land resources in Te Hoiere and Kaituna river catchments. Ngāti Kuia has partnered with the Marlborough District Council, the Department of Conservation and the community (with support from other government agencies) since 2019 to restore and improve the catchment, both on land and in the water.
Waitaha/Canterbury
Te Waihora Co-governance Agreement
Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere is the largest lake in Canterbury and with its surrounds is an internationally significant wetland. Te Waihora also has huge significance for Ngāi Tahu as a tribal taonga, representing a major mahinga kai and an important source of mana.
The Te Waihora Co-Governance Agreement is a voluntary agreement first signed in 2012 between Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Environment Canterbury. The Selwyn District Council joined in 2014, followed by Christchurch City Council in 2016 and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai in 2019. The Te Waihora co-governance group is made up of four commissioners from Canterbury Regional Council, five members from Ngāi Tahu, including the Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and the Mayor of Selwyn District Council. The Kaiwhakahaere of Ngāi Tahu and the chairperson of Canterbury Regional Council are the group's co-chairpersons.
See the Alliance’s co-designed strategic document
Read an iwi account of the loss and degradation of Te Waihora and their proposals to enable them to fulfil their kaitiakitanga responsibilities
Canterbury Water Management Strategy
The Canterbury Water Management Strategy was created in 2010 in a partnership between Environment Canterbury, local councils and Te Runanga o Ngāi Tahu. It has established ten target areas (or zones)which work on a collaborative basis with local groups and mana whenua. The overarching vision of the strategy is ‘to gain the greatest cultural, economic, environmental, recreational and social benefits from our water resources within a sustainable framework both now and for future generations’.
Environment Canterbury have produced a short video about working with Ngāi Tahu on this project.
Murihiku | Southland
Whakamana te Waituna Trust
In 2013 Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, Te Runanga o Awarua, the Department of Conservation, Environment Southland and the Southland District Council formed Waituna Partners, with the goal of overseeing the care and management of the Waituna Lagoon, its wetlands and its catchment. In 2018 the group renamed as Whakamana te Waituna Trust. Fonterra is now a partner through its Joint Living Water programme with DOC. The Trust works alongside community and other stakeholders in the catchment.
National co-governance initiatives
Adult and Community Education Aotearoa (Inc) (ACE)
ACE describes itself as “a dynamic network of adult and community educators committed to a society based on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a guiding framework that enables ACE Aotearoa to give due recognition to the status of Māori as Tāngata whenua, and Tāngata Tiriti as citizens of our shared country”. ACE operates with a Tāngata Whenua Caucus and a Tāngata Tiriti Caucus. Tangata Whenua and Tāngata Tiriti representation have equal weight in respect of voting on the Board, which has co-chairs.
Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
The 1992 Constitution of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand provided for the three partners in the Church to order their affairs within their own cultural context: Tikanga Maori; Tikanga Pakeha; Tikanga Pasefika.
Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities National Science Challenge
The Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities National Science Challenge (BBHTCNSC) was launched in 2016 to improve the quality and supply of housing, “transforming dwellings and places where people live into homes and communities that are hospitable, productive and protective’. The organisation has embedded Te Tiriti based co-governance and co-leadership throughout the entire organisation since 2020, with Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti co-Directors.
On its website BBHTCNSC explains: “Crown breaches of Te Tiriti in the process of colonisation have severe, destructive, and enduring impacts on hapū/iwi/Māori and are a root cause of the current housing crisis for Māori. The Challenge is funded by the Crown and therefore carries responsibilities to uphold Te Tiriti. We believe that Māori-led solutions are critical not only to address issues of Māori housing and urban exclusion but can provide significant, transferrable approaches that can benefit Aotearoa as a whole”.
Hui E!
Hui E! Community Aotearoa represents and supports more than 115,000 tangata whenua, community and voluntary groups in Aotearoa. The organisation is committed to the spirit of te Tiriti – a true partnership between Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti, which shares power equally, celebrates cultural difference, and collectively improves hauora, health and wellbeing for all. It supports Māori self-determination/tino rangatiratanga, especially within the sector. Hui E!’s Board has a Tangata Whenua Co-chair and Tangata Tiriti Co-chair.
Te Ohaaki a Hine – National Network for Ending Sexual Violence Together (TOAH-NNEST)
TOAH-NNEST is a network committed to ending sexual violence within communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Network’s structure reflects the Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based partnership in that there are two whare or houses, Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri and Tauiwi Caucus who each govern their own specific affairs in keeping with their own worldviews and priorities. This structure enables Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri, the tangata whenua whare, to operate substantially within a Māori worldview, while ensuring that TOAH-NNEST meets its legal responsibilities. Trustees representing Ngā Kaitiaki Mauri and Tauiwi Caucus govern as the body Te Roopu Whakahaere.
Read TOAH-NNEST’s Te Tiriti Relationship Agreement
Occupational Therapy New Zealand – Whakaora Ngangahau Aotearoa
OTNZ-WNA has had a Tiriti Relationship Governance Model since 2015. Their Council consists of eight councillors: four tangata whenua councillors nominated by their Rōpu and four tangata tiriti councillors elected at AGM. There are two Presidents – one from each house. Together they represent the council and co-chair meetings with an equal voice in decision-making. The Council endeavours to ensure all subcommittees comprise equal number of tangata tiriti and tangata whenua members.
The Methodist Church of New Zealand: Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa and Co-Governance
In 1983 the church agreed to embark upon a Bicultural Journey, one that would seek a more just society, and more truly reflect that bicultural society espoused in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Methodism in Aotearoa orders its life and faith in a theology driven from within the context of Aotearoa. The partners, Te Taha Māori (Māori Methodists), and Tauiwi (those without whakapapa Māori) conduct their own church life practices in their own agreed ways, but matters that affect the whole church are addressed in partnership forums, Te Taha Māori with Tauiwi, making decisions through consensus. Should consensus not be reached, matters may be set aside until further information, new insights can be brought to the table to move matters forward.