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The Port Nicholson Settlement Trust has signed a memorandum of understanding with the crown and the Wellington City Council over the future of the Watts Peninsula or Te Motu Kairangi.
The peninsula, which makes up the northern half of the suburb of Miramar, is home to filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson's studio complex and special effects maven Sir Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop.
It also includes the former Shelly Bay defence base, which is owned by the trust, and former Mr Crawford prison, which the trust has a right of first refusal over.
Trust chair Neville Baker says it's an area of strategic importance to Taranaki Whanui, so it's important the trust is part of any discussions about its future development.
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson says the parties want to develop a national heritage destination which recognises environmental, cultural and heritage values.
He says the collaborative and inclusive process underpining the MOU will ensure iwi, private interests and other community partners are involved in developing the future vision from the outset.
The peninsula has been regarded as strategically important since the early days of Maori occupation and contains a number of archaeological areas important to Maori and pakeha. It is home to a number of historic military gun emplacements, pa sites and former ammunition magazines.
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