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.

Recent examples of close co-operation between Ngāti Tūrangitukua as reserves landowners and council as facility managers include initiatives to create a new destination playground at Te Kapua Park and to build a multi-million dollar Community Sports Facility at Turangitukua Park, which is Tūrangi's largest sports ground. Construction is set to begin on both projects later this year.

Much of the town's community amenities and three waters (drinking water, stormwater and wastewater) infrastructure are located on reserves owned by Ngāti Tūrangitukua and decisions concerning these reserves and assets had remained solely with council as an outcome of the 1999 Ngāti Tūrangitukua Crown settlement.

Council chief executive officer Gareth Green says the large body of careful work put in by staff from both parties over several years to come up with the comprehensive agreement was highly impressive.

"This mahi provides a strong and enduring framework to move our relationship into an exciting new phase, which should be a win-win for all our community."

Tina Porou led the Mana Whakahono development team for Ngāti Tūrangitukua. She says: "This partnership has been over 50 years in the making, with the work of our kaumatua and kuia bearing fruit in this generation's opportunity to give effect to their aspirations.

"Having co-governance is an important step in creating the town and the country we want; one where our shared vision for our community comes equally from both tangata whenua and tangata tiriti. We are excited that our council has taken this path with us, and has committed to be part of a new stage of our shared evolution, together."

To help people learn the background of the Mana Whakahono and what it means for the community, a short video has been produced setting out how Ngāti Tūrangitukua has been on a journey of reconciliation since the 1960s when the Crown took their lands against their will and desecrated their wāhi tapu (sacred spaces, including burial grounds) for the construction of the Tongariro hydropower scheme and the Tūrangi township.

The Mana Whakahono agreement goes to the council meeting for consideration on Tuesday, April 26, 1pm. The meeting will be held online and live-streamed to the council's YouTube channel.

Credit: NZHerald.co.nz