Formal Partnerships and Arrangements

Iwi and hapū throughout the region have expressed a desire to work in various forms of partnership with Horizons. Some of these aspirations are embedded through Treaty settlements – others are acknowledged through memoranda of partnership and other formal arrangements.

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Co-governance and joint management arrangements

Some Treaty settlements establish co-governance or joint management frameworks for significant natural resources. Horizons participates in a number of these, including those provided for under Te Awa Tupua and Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika.

Te Awa Tupua

The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 recognised Te Awa Tupua as a legal person – the first river in the world to receive that status. The Act acknowledges the deep and enduring relationship that Whanganui iwi have with their awa.

Under the Act, Te Kōpuka was established in 2019 as a strategy group for Te Awa Tupua. Te Kōpuka is made up of individuals and organisations with interests in the Whanganui River and led by iwi representatives. The group's purpose is to work collaboratively to advance the environmental, social, cultural, and economic health and wellbeing of the river and its catchment. Horizons participates in Te Kōpuka as one of the organisations with responsibilities for the awa.

Learn more about Te Awa Tupua and Te Kōpuka on the Ngā Tangata Tiaki website.

Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika

The Ngāti Rangi Claims Settlement Act 2019 established Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika – a framework for the Whangaehu River and catchment that gives effect to Ngāti Rangi's values and aspirations. When making decisions about any resource consent application involving the Whangaehu River or its catchment, Horizons must recognise and provide for the values of Te Waiū-o-te-Ika.

Horizons is also involved in Ngā Wai Tōtā, the governance group for Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika, along with representatives from Ngāti Rangi, Ngā Wairiki, Uenuku, Ngā Hapū o te Iwi o Whanganui, Whanganui District Council, Ruapehu District Council and Rangitīkei District Council. Ngā Wai Tōtā's purpose is to promote the vision and principles of Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika, advance the health, wellbeing and integrated management of the catchment, and be a voice for the relationship of ngā iwi o te awa with the catchment.

Learn more about Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika and Ngā Wai Tōtā at www.tewaiuoteika.nz

Memorandums of Partnership

A Memorandum of Partnership (MoP) is a formal agreement between Horizons and an iwi or hapū that sets out how we'll work together. An MoP isn't legally binding, but it's a commitment we make to each other to support a more effective and enduring relationship.

Each MoP is developed through genuine kōrero. The resulting document reflects the iwi or hapū's aspirations, identifies shared goals, and creates a structure for working together at both a governance level and an operational one. They're not one-size-fits-all documents – each one reflects the rohe, the relationship, and the issues that matter most to the iwi and/or hapū involved.

Horizons has signed Memorandums of Partnership with the following iwi and hapū:

  • Muaūpoko

  • Ngāti Hāua

  • Ngāti Kahungunu ki Tāmaki-nui-a-Rua

  • Te Nehenehenui (Ngāti Maniapoto)

  • Ngāti Rangi

  • Ngāti Whakatere

  • Rangitāne o Manawatū

  • Te Kāuru Eastern Manawatū Hapū Collective

  • Te Korowai o Wainuiārua