Co-Governance of Taranaki - Part Two - Mana Whakahono a Rohe (MWAR) Contracts.
This information is for the people who like more detail, and we have also published it to show the information used for the Part One story.
This covers:
What does the term Te Tiriti mean ?
The legislation in the RMA states what kaitiakitanga is
United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People document (UNDRIP)
The full MAWR wording in the Resource Management Act
The full agenda for Te Tiriti Outcomes Workshop
The 2 contracts the NPDC and TRC were presented with by 2 Iwi groups.
The Te Tiriti Draft Framework Workshop
Back in April some of our team attended the Te Tiriti Draft Framework Workshop at the NPDC. We went to this workshop so we could understand what the Council is talking about when they are talking about Te Tiriti.
This led to a lot of research about legislation, and government involvement over the years around this topic.
The following explains some terms and their meanings, and links to documents referred to in Part One of this story.
What is Te Tiriti ?
We are happy to be corrected with this, but our understanding is that Te Tiriti is a recognition by Iwi and Hapu of only the Maori words in the Treaty of Waitangi. The Maori interpretation of the Maori words in the Treaty, and in particular the words in the second article.
The Agenda in the Te Tiriti Draft Framework workshop refers to this with the second article:
“The Tiriti principle of partnership undergirds Council relationships with hapū
and iwi because it has delegated decision making authority from the Crown that
can impact rights guaranteed protection under Article II of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
That is, rangatiratanga (or self-determination) over lands, forests, fisheries and
all taonga (tangible and intangible treasures).”
The legislation in the RMA states that kaitiakitanga is:
kaitiakitanga means the exercise of guardianship by the tangata whenua of an area in accordance with tikanga Maori in relation to natural and physical resources; and includes the ethic of stewardship.
Over many years, successive NZ Governments have moved legislation in NZ towards the Te Tiriti interpretation.
This has moved from just central government legislation to now include the ability for Councils to build Te Tiriti concepts in to local government operations.
The United Nations has also had a hand to play with the Te Tiriti concept and development of legislation and additional rights for Iwi and Hapu.
Te Tiriti moved forward in NZ legislation as the John Key National Government signed a United Nations document in around 2012. It has the very unsexy name of UNDRIP – United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People.
We have attached a copy of these UNDRIP rights here, which are a non-binding document:
Link to the full MWAR wording in the Resource Management Act.
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/69/en/latest/#DLM7236238
Link to full agenda for Te Tiriti Outcomes Workshop
Link to the TE KĀHUI MARU TRUST Contract – NPDC to vote on this contract
This is a link to the agenda for an NPDC workshop. The Contract starts on Page 23.
Link to the TE NEHENEHENUI Contract which the Taranaki Regional Council has signed.
This is the link to an agenda for a TRC meeting. The contract starts on Page18
Posted: Tue 21 Jul 2026