Three of Northland's four councils and most of its iwi authorities have signed an agreement they say will improve understanding between the two sides and give Northland more clout in its dealings with central government.
The Northland Mayoral Forum and Tai Tokerau Iwi Chairs Forum, or Te Kahu O Taonui, have been in discussions for the past 19 months about building a strategic relationship.
The talks came to fruition on the eve of Waitangi Day commemorations when they signed an agreement ''formalising a collaborative relationship aimed at progressing a shared vision for Northland''.
The January 31 agreement is the first of its kind in New Zealand, Northland Mayoral Forum chairman Bill Shepherd said.
Northland's iwi and council leaders had been meeting in a Chief Executives' Forum for several years, but there was no equivalent governance forum.