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.

On this page

The settlement landscape in our region

Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi is a symbol of the enduring partnership between Māori and the Crown. Council, as an agent of the Crown, has many obligations to fulfil in relation to the Treaty, and our role is becoming even more important as iwi and hapū in the Horizons region go through the Treaty claims and settlement process.

Treaty settlements are agreements between the Crown and iwi that acknowledge historical breaches of the Treaty and provide redress. Once legislated they create direct obligations for regional councils.

The Horizons Region is one of the last regions in the country in which the Treaty settlement process is underway. With 15 settlement legislations currently active within the region and more in various stages of the settlement process, there will be significant mahi involved in working alongside existing and future Post-Settlement Governance Entities. It is equally as important that we work alongside those iwi and hapū who have not yet settled, building trust and confidence to deliver shared goals and aspirations.

What settlements mean for Horizons

When an iwi settles with the Crown, the resulting legislation often includes provisions that directly affect how we operate. These can include:

Statutory acknowledgements – formal Crown acknowledgements of the cultural, spiritual, historic, and traditional associations an iwi has with specific areas. Where a statutory acknowledgement relates to a river, lake, wetland, or coastal area, We are required to forward summaries of relevant resource consent applications to the post-settlement governance entity. See our Statutory Acknowledgements page for the acknowledgements that apply in our region.

Co-management arrangements – some settlements establish joint governance or management frameworks for significant natural resources. We participate in several of these. See our Formal Partnerships and Arrangements page for more information.

Iwi participation requirements – settlement legislation often creates new or strengthened rights for iwi to participate in resource management processes. Horizons works to understand and give effect to these requirements as they arise.

Beyond the legal obligations, settlements mark the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship, not the end of one. Post-settlement governance entities are significant organisations with resources, mandates and aspirations. Working effectively alongside them is one of the most important things Horizons does.

Settlement acts relevant to our region

The following acts have been negotiated between the Crown and iwi with interests in the Horizons Region (listed in alphabetical order):

Where to find more information

Treaty settlements are negotiated by the Crown. For comprehensive information on any specific settlement – including deeds of settlement, settlement Acts, and the current status of negotiations – the main resource is:

Te Tari Whakatau – the Office of Treaty Settlements
whakatau.govt.nz

For iwi and hapū with interests in our region, you can also find contact information on our Iwi and Hapū Contacts page.

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.

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.

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.