Proposed treaty settlement brings overlapping iwi interests to a head

A Crown decision to include the transferral of six Department of Conservation reserves in a major treaty settlement for one iwi is facing strong opposition from other iwi and hapū who say the deal will “obliterate” their overlapping customary interests to those land reserves.

The six reserves – Mangaone, Panekirikiri, Tutaemaro, Waihi South, Waikareiti and Ruakituri Scenic Reserve – are located around Lake Waikaremoana in Te Urewera.

Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana signed their deed of settlement with the Crown in February, the final step before the legislation goes through Parliament.

As part of their proposed settlement, the six reserves are set to be transferred to Te Urewera Board, the body that governs, manages and speaks for Te Urewera, a legal entity in its own right. The board is made up of Crown and Tūhoe representatives.

Image: Chair of Tātau Tātau Te Wairoa Trust Pieri Munro. (Source: 1News)

“We have continued to have access, we use those for mahinga kai (food and resource gathering), for hunting, we have access into those six reserve blocks, have done from history right up until now. But the decision by the minister… and by the Crown, is going to obliterate that interest.”

The reserves are currently managed under a shared agreement that includes the Department of Conservation, Ngāti Ruapani and Wairoa iwi and hapū, said Munro.

Read the full article here: https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/04/13/proposed-treaty-settlement-brings-overlapping-iwi-interests-to-a-head/