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Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga wants to declare the Waitangi Treaty Grounds as the country’s first National Historic Landmark.
The Landmark programme will be be launched on World Heritage Day in April.
The organisation says the site where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed in 1840 is fundamental to New Zealand’s cultural identity and its origin as a modern bicultural nation.
Also known Te Pitowhenua, it was regarded by Ngāpuhi as a place of ancestral importance where rangatira gathered to discuss matters of common interest.
Pouhere Taonga policy director Rebecca O'Brien says the designation will help protect the site through long-term risk planning and management.
The site is currently overseen by the Waitangi National Trust.
Submissions on the proposal close on February 12 and then a recommendation will go to the Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Grant Robertson, for the final decision.
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