A lot of progress made in 2015

Mita Mohi and Merepeka Raukawa-Tait at the ceremony to hand back Taniwha Springs to Ngati Rangiwewehi.

The Rotorua Daily Post is taking a look back at the top Maori news stories that shaped 2015.

* Rotorua's mayor hopes a new Te Arawa Board will be ready to take part in the running of the district by early 2016 after the Rotorua Lakes Council voted to adopt a modified version of its controversial Te Arawa Partnership Proposal. Councillors voted 8-5 to allow Te Arawa representatives, with voting rights, on the council's two key committees.

* Te Arawa kapa haka groups received a rousing welcome home as they returned from Te Matatini. More than 200 people greeted Te Matarae i Orehu, Kataore and Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao after returning from the four-day national kapa haka competition. Te Matarae i Orehu was named equal second with Opotiki Mai Tawhiti. Miriama Morrison-Hare was named the competition's best female leader for Te Matarae i Orehu.

* Rotorua mourned the sudden loss of Mauriora Kingi, a man described as one of the district's "taonga" by mayor Steve Chadwick. Mr Kingi, who died aged 53, was farewelled by around 1000 people at the Te Paakira Marae, Whakarewarewa Village.

* Rotorua's waka ama clubs were well represented on the podium at the 26th ActivePost National Waka Ama Sprint Championships at Lake Karapiro. Local club Ruamata won six medals with most of them coming on the final day. Te Au Rere Waka Ama Club also collected six medals and the Hei Matau Paddlers club won one medal.

* Tame Iti collaborated with an Austrian-born photographer for an exhibition in Wellington. The Tuhoe member worked with Birgit Krippner on Iti, consisting of her photographs and his oils and sculpture works.

* The hard work and dedication of a collective of weavers, many from Rotorua and the Eastern Bay, was unveiled at the United Nations headquarters. More than 40 tukutuku panels have been installed in the New York building.

* A short film starring a Rotorua rugby player had its international premiere at a film festival in Finland. Tits on a Bull was filmed in various locations around Rotorua featuring Ngawaea Taia and produced by film-makers Tim Worrall, Piripi Curtis and Lara Northcroft.

* Rotorua Maori culture is being showcased on the world stage again through a living art exhibition, Tuku Iho, which has opened in Santiago, Chile. Tuku Iho Living Legacy is an exhibition of time-honoured Maori artworks, including more than 80 pieces of art made from wood, pounamu, bone, stone, bronze and flax, created at the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute.

* It is a long way from Te Whakarewarewa Valley to Los Angeles, but Rotorua local Renata West will be taking his legacy with him when he takes up a new role with Tourism New Zealand as its new trade development executive for North America, based in the United States.

* The ownership of Taniwha Springs was handed back to Ngati Rangiwewehi in a "historic decision" made by Rotorua Lakes Council. Councillors voted unanimously that the ownership of the Ngongotaha springs be transferred back to the iwi. Every seat was filled in the council chambers and the room erupted with applause when the decision was made.

* The historic inauguration of the Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board took place and signed its partnership agreement with the Rotorua Lakes Council Te Taru White was named the board chairman and Ngaroma (Mala) Grant deputy chairwoman.