Iwi and Hapū Environmental Management Plans
An Environmental Management Plan 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.
Ki te kāhore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi | Without a guiding vision, the people will be lost.
An iwi or hapū environmental management plan, also commonly referred to as an iwi management plan (IMP), is a mechanism for iwi and hapū to proactively express their values, interests and aspirations in a form that Horizons 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.
Lodging an environmental management plan
In order for Horizons to consider the contents of an IMP, two criterion must be met:
The IMP must be recognised by the relevant iwi authority; and
The plan must be officially lodged with Horizons.
Ways to lodge a plan
There are a variety of ways to lodge a plan (in all cases below, endorsement by the relevant iwi authority is required). Horizons recommends that iwi/hapū either:
Lodge the plan by using Council’s official lodgement form (linked below); or
Lodge the plan with a letter of support from the relevant iwi authority; or
Lodge the plan with a copy of the minutes of iwi/hapū/marae meeting where the plan was mandated by tangata whenua present; or
Lodge the plan at an organised meeting with relevant Horizons staff and iwi/hapū representatives; or
Discuss and agree another method with Council staff.
Form - Lodgement of an Iwi or Hapū Planning Document
Working together with tangata whenua
Our region is home to more than 30 iwi and 100 hapū. Strong relationships between Horizons Regional Council and tangata whenua aren't just good practice, they're essential to good environmental decision-making in a region where the connections between people and place run deep.
Māori Advisory Team
Our Te Pae Kōuka advisors are the primary point of contact between Horizons and the tangata whenua of our region. They support partnership structures, develop and maintain formal relationship agreements, build organisational cultural competency, and enable meaningful tangata whenua engagement in policy development, resource management and environmental projects.
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.
Treaty Settlements
When an iwi settles with the Crown, the resulting legislation includes provisions that create direct obligations for regional councils. Our region is one of the last in the country where the settlement process is still actively underway. For us, that means both ongoing obligations and new opportunities to work alongside iwi and hapū as they realise their aspirations.
Statutory Acknowledgements
Statutory acknowledgements are statements of cultural, spiritual, historic, and traditional associations of an iwi with a site or an area acknowledged by the Crown in Treaty of Waitangi settlement processes. They have legal weight from inclusion in Treaty claims settlement acts.
Iwi and Hapū Contacts
Horizons maintains an iwi and hapū contacts database for the region. This database ensures that our staff are communicating and facilitating connections with the right people.