Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust has launched a scathing attack on the Government’s decision to replace Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements with more limited Iwi Participation Agreements, describing the move as politically motivated and harmful to relationships between councils and tangata whenua.
The Government announced this week that existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements, as well as negotiations already underway, will be discontinued. In their place, councils and iwi will be required to negotiate new participation agreements with a narrower focus on statutory planning processes and Treaty settlement obligations.
The changes form part of the Government’s wider reforms of New Zealand’s resource management system.
Ngāti Ruanui Trust says the decision ignores evidence that collaborative partnerships between councils and iwi have improved local planning outcomes and instead reflects political ideology rather than good public policy.
Trust Tumu Whakahaere Haimona Maruera said the changes appeared designed to appeal to sections of the electorate and industries seeking easier access to natural resources, rather than strengthening environmental management.
He argued the Government was deliberately weakening constructive relationships between local authorities and tangata whenua, despite many councils and iwi successfully working together to improve planning processes across the country.
According to the Trust, Māori participation has played an important role in protecting te taiao, ensuring development proposals consider long-term environmental, cultural and community impacts.
Mr Maruera said iwi often act as a safeguard against unsustainable exploitation of natural resources and questioned why the Government would seek to dismantle partnership arrangements that have been delivering practical benefits at the local level.
He also accused the Government of pursuing an ideological agenda aimed at reducing Māori influence in public decision-making, saying the reforms undermined local democracy by disrupting relationships that had been built over many years.
Ngāti Ruanui Pou Whakahaere Rachel Arnott described the proposed Iwi Participation Agreements as a significant downgrade from the current framework.
She said the new model replaces a proactive partnership approach with a much narrower process that limits opportunities for meaningful collaboration between councils and iwi.
The Trust argues the proposed legislative “guardrails” surrounding the new agreements will restrict Māori participation, reducing iwi involvement to compliance with minimum statutory obligations rather than encouraging genuine partnership in planning and environmental management.
Despite its opposition to the reforms, Ngāti Ruanui says it remains committed to maintaining strong working relationships with local councils throughout its rohe.
The Trust has pledged to continue collaborating with territorial authorities wherever possible to support sustainable development and environmental stewardship, regardless of changes introduced through central government legislation.
The Government has argued the new Iwi Participation Agreements will provide greater clarity, consistency and certainty within planning processes while ensuring councils continue to meet their Treaty settlement obligations.
However, critics say replacing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements risks weakening collaborative planning arrangements that have enabled iwi and councils to jointly address complex environmental and development challenges.
The proposals are expected to remain a significant point of debate as the Government progresses its broader programme of resource management reform, with iwi organisations across the country continuing to scrutinise the implications for Treaty partnerships and Māori participation in environmental decision-making.
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