After several years of working closely together, Taupō District Council has finalised a draft Mana Whakahono partnership agreement with Ngāti Tūrangitukua, who are a hapū of Ngāti Tuwharetoa and who hold mana whenua of the Tūrangi township and its surrounds.
The council will deliberate on the agreement at its meeting later this month. The move follows several years of negotiation and closer collaboration between the council and Ngāti Tūrangitukua, who are landowners of most of the reserves in Tūrangi.
The partnership agreement between the council and Ngāti Tūrangitukua expands beyond the mandatory Mana Whakahono ā Rohe provisions provided for under the Resource Management Act (RMA) into a contemporary and comprehensive partnership agreement that also covers the Local Government Act and Reserve Act matters.
The new co-governance framework will enable Ngāti Tūrangitukua to make joint decisions alongside council on various matters that affect their land and whanau for the benefit of the wider community.
An equal co-governance committee made up of both Ngāti Tūrangitukua and council appointees will be set up as the governing body to build on the fruits of the existing positive working partnership that are being reaped between the two in community planning and co-design of community projects, facilities and sustainable community outcomes.