Iwi and Hapū Management Plans

The proverb “Ki te kāhore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi” can be interpreted to mean that without a guiding vision, the people will be lost.

An iwi or hapū management plan (IMP), also commonly referred to as an iwi environmental management plan (IEMP) or iwi resource management plan (IRMP), is a document prepared by an iwi or hapū authority that sets out how that group wants their taonga, rohe and cultural values considered in resource management and planning decisions. IMPs are a mechanism for iwi and hapū to proactively express their values, interests and aspirations in a form that Horizons Regional Council is legally required to engage with.

Section 35A of the Resource Management Act 1991 requires local authorities to maintain a record of IMPs that have been provided to them, while Sections 61(2A) and 66(2A) require regional councils to take IMPs into account when preparing/changing regional policy statements and regional plans, respectively. IMPs also assist with resource consent processes by informing the preparation and assessment of consent applications, and providing guidance to council officers and decision-makers when considering the relevant RMA Part 2 matters on Māori cultural values and interests.

Understanding iwi and hapū values and aspirations is beneficial for all. Reading these IMPs is the first step to understanding the Māori worldview and the importance of the relationship between tangata whenua and the environment in our region.
 

Current Iwi and Hapū Management Plans

The following management plans have been lodged by iwi/hapū in our region and recorded by Horizons:

• Central North Island Forests Iwi Collective – He Mahere Pūtahitanga
• Ngāti Rangi – Taiao Management Plan
• Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi – Puutaiao Management Plan
• Te Kāuru Eastern Manawatū River Hapū Collective – Te Kāuru Taiao Strategy
• Ngāti Maniapoto – Ko Tā Maniapoto Mahere Taiao
• Ngāti Tūwharetoa – Iwi Environmental Management Plan
• Ngā Puna Rau o Rangitīkei – Ki Uta ki Tai, Rangitīkei Catchment Strategy and Action Plan
• Tuhua Hikurangi – Te Taiawhio (no digital copy available)
• Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua – Te Tapere Nui o Whātonga
• Rangitāne o Manawatū – Environmental Management Plan

Lodging your Iwi Management Plan

In order for Horizons staff to consider the contents of an IMP, two criterion must be met:

1. The IMP must be recognised by the relevant iwi authority.
2. The plan must be lodged with Horizons.

Ways to lodge your plan

There are a variety of ways to lodge your plan (in all cases below, endorsement by the relevant iwi authority is required). Horizons recommends that iwi or hapū either:

• Lodge the plan by using Council’s official lodgement form (linked below).
• Lodge the plan with a letter of support from the relevant iwi authority.
• Lodge the plan with a copy of the minutes of iwi/hapū/marae meeting where the plan was mandated by tangata whenua present.
• Lodge the plan at an organised meeting with relevant Horizons staff and iwi/hapū representatives.
• Other method as agreed by the applicant and Council staff.