Ngāti Northland: Ngāti Hine and Northland Regional Council make history with first iwi-council agreement

Ngāti Hine deputy chair Pita Tipene signs the Mana Whakahono ā Rohe at today’s ceremony while NRC deputy chair Tui Shortland, left, looks on. Photo / Supplied

• Ngāti Hine and the Northland Regional Council signed the first Iwi-Council resource management agreement in Taitokerau Northland.
• The Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement aims to improve relationships and involve tangata whenua in decision-making.
• Pita Tipene and Geoff Crawford highlighted the milestone’s significance for Iwi-Council relations and environmental collaboration.

Ngāti Hine and the Northland Regional Council (NRC) have made history, signing the first-ever iwi-council resource management agreement in Taitokerau Northland.

A large gathering, including Ngāti Hine and NRC representatives, whānau, and guests, gathered at Otiria Marae yesterday to take part in the official signing of the Mana Whakahono ā Rohe (MWAR) between Ngāti Hine and NRC.

MWAR agreements were introduced into the Resource Management Act (RMA) in 2017 by the Crown as a way of improving working relationships between tangata whenua and councils, and to provide more opportunities for tangata whenua involvement in RMA decision-making processes.

While several Northland hapū-NRC agreements have already been signed, this most recent agreement is a first for a Northland iwi.

Ngāti Hine Deputy Chair Pita Tipene says the event marks an important milestone for iwi-council relations.

NRC Deputy Chair Tui Shortland and Chair Geoff Crawford sign the Mana Whakahono ā Rohe. Photo / Supplied

“Our whānau and hapū of Ngāti Hine have been working tirelessly in our many valleys as champions for the environment.

“Moreover, the regional council team has worked in close collaboration with our whānau and hapū, building strong relationships and ways of working at the flax roots.

“This significant milestone agreement will further support our integrated efforts as rangatiratanga and kawanatanga working in earnest together for the benefit of our environment as envisaged by Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Tipene said.

Northland Regional Council chair Geoff Crawford, who signed the agreement on behalf of the regional council, says it is a momentous occasion, and he is proud of the growing partnership between NRC and Ngāti Hine.

“This signing is a great day and represents our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and working with tangata whenua for the benefit of all living in Taitokerau Northland,” Crawford says.

“We are grateful for all the hard work Ngāti Hine and our regional council have put into making this happen and I look forward to seeing where this fantastic result takes us.”

Council deputy chair Tui Shortland agrees the binding agreement is a significant step in further developing the parties’ working relationship.

“The Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreement will help to develop greater mutual understanding of the parties’ expectations and aspirations across a range of resource management issues and will be a significant step in the practical realisation and implementation, through partnership, of those aspirations.”