The Government’s proposed replacement of the Resource Management Act (RMA) is reigniting debate over the future of Māori participation in environmental decision-making, with critics warning the reforms could represent another significant setback for Te Tiriti-based partnerships.
At the centre of the controversy is the Government’s decision to remove Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements from the new planning system. These statutory agreements, introduced under the RMA in 2017, were designed to provide a formal framework for councils and iwi to work together on resource management, planning, information sharing and the implementation of Treaty settlement obligations. They did not transfer decision-making powers from councils to iwi but instead established agreed processes for collaboration.
Under the Government’s reforms, existing agreements will not carry over into the replacement legislation. Instead, councils will have the option of entering into more narrowly defined Iwi Participation Agreements, focused on statutory planning processes and Treaty settlement obligations. Resource Management Reform Minister Chris Bishop says the change is intended to simplify the system, following a rapid increase in new Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements after the reforms were announced.
However, the move has been met with strong opposition from iwi leaders, environmental advocates and opposition parties, who argue it weakens Māori participation at a time when environmental challenges require stronger partnerships rather than fewer.
Kaupapa Māori environmental experts say the changes risk reducing opportunities for tangata whenua to exercise kaitiakitanga over whenua, awa and moana. They argue the existing agreements have helped councils and iwi build enduring relationships that improve planning outcomes while recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
Te Pāti Māori has described the decision as another erosion of Treaty-based partnership, arguing that removing established mechanisms for collaboration reflects a broader pattern of reducing Māori participation across government decision-making. The party says environmental management cannot be separated from whakapapa, tikanga and the relationship Māori have with the natural world.
Concern has also been raised by local government leaders. Whakatāne Mayor Nándor Tanczos has questioned why the Government would dismantle agreements that many councils and iwi spent years negotiating, describing the move as a backward step for local democracy and long-term relationships between tangata whenua and local authorities.
In Taranaki, Ngāti Maru expressed disappointment after signing a Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement only days before the Government announced it would no longer survive under the new planning framework. The iwi says years of collaborative work now face uncertainty.
The Government maintains Māori will continue to have opportunities to participate through the new agreements and that Treaty settlement commitments will continue to be honoured. Ministers argue the wider planning reforms are necessary to reduce delays, improve certainty and support housing, infrastructure and economic development while maintaining appropriate recognition of Māori interests.
For many Māori, however, the debate extends beyond planning law. It raises broader questions about how Te Tiriti o Waitangi should be reflected in modern legislation and whether reforms that reduce formal avenues for Māori participation represent progress or a retreat from partnership.
As Parliament prepares to continue debating the replacement legislation, the future of Māori involvement in environmental governance is shaping up to be one of the defining constitutional and political issues of the 2026 General Election.
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