Draft Joint Management Agreement

Partnering to Protect and Restore Taupō Moana and Waikato Awa

Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and Taupō District Council have developed a draft Joint Management Agreement (JMA), a practical tool to make sure we are part of the decisions that shape Taupo Moana and the Upper Waikato Awa.

This mahi comes from the Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Raukawa and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Act 2010. While the Act has been in place for over a decade, this agreement gives effect to it in a real and lasting way.
This agreement is still in draft form. The Taupō District Council voted on July 31 to defer consideration of the agreement to after the local government elections on October 11.

We encourage you to continue to kōrero about the JMA with your whānau and hāpori, ready for when it comes up on the new council’s agenda.

Read Draft JMA

Support the Draft JMA

Our Shared Vision

Together, Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and Taupō District Council want:

Thriving and Healthy Wai

Taupō Moana and the Upper Waikato Awa are thriving, healthy

Abundant Life and Prosperous Communities

Our moana and awa look after our people and way of life

Shared Responsibility

Everyone in our community plays a part in restoring the health and wellbeing of our wai for future generations.

The Jma Explained & What It Means For Our Hapū

1. Te Mana o Te Wai | We Make Decisions for Our Wai

Monitoring and Enforcement

Tūwharetoa will input early on what activities will be monitored, and be involved in how that monitoring is carried out.

District Plan Review

The Trust Board shall jointly prepare the content of a planning document to be notified under the Resource Management Act.

Supporting Tūwharetoa Cultural Practices

The Trust Board and council can agree on processes that allow customary activities without needing council authorisation, ensuring they are included in plans and bylaws.

Assessing Resource Consent Applications

The Trust Board will be involved early in applications within the JMA area within scope, giving input on cultural and environmental impacts, and suggesting conditions to reduce these impacts.

There Are Also Opportunities To Work Together On Other Things Like:

Capability Building

Tūwharetoa will input early on what activities will be monitored, and be involved in how that monitoring is carried out.

Section 33 RMA Transfers of Powers

This agreement commits to explore further transfers of powers from Council to iwi. This power already exists under the Resource Management Act.

Economic Development and Investment

The Trust Board and Council may look at joint economic projects where working together can bring benefits to both parties and the community.

Service Infrastructure (Water, Roads, Stormwater)

Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board will be invited by council to be involved early on in the development of water, roads and stormwater projects.

Three-year Plan

Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and the Taupō District Council will develop a 3-year work plan to develop joint projects that restore and protect the health and wellbeing of Taupō Moana and the Upper Waikato River.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This JMA does not replace existing agreements between marae, hapū, or other Tūwharetoa entities and the Council. It simply adds another tool for our whānau to use.

2. He Taonga ka Tuku Iho | We Protect the Wai

There are also opportunities to work together on other things like:

Tracking progress through a three-year work plan
Locking in protections for our wai under the law for future generations.

3. He Wai Māori, he Wai Ora | We Restore the Wai

The draft JMA will help restore the environment by:

Identifying and prioritising projects in our work plan that matter to our whānau, marae, and hapū.
Checking the health of our wai using our mātauranga and Western science.

4. Hapū Mana Motuhake | We Uphold Hapū Authority

The draft JMA will support hapū by:

Making sure they’re involved in Council decisions about our moana and awa.
Focusing on projects that are important to marae and hapū.

Frequently Asked Questions

An agreement between Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and Taupō District Council
Establishes how we work together on decisions affecting Taupō Moana and the Upper Waikato River.

Grounded in our Treaty settlement
Enabled by the Upper Waikato River Act 2010
Affirms our mana whakahaere

Council engagement with iwi/hapū already exists, but is not clearly defined, and isn’t applied consistently.
Existing legislation such as the Resource Management Act and Local Government Act has failed to deliver for iwi and hapū.
The Waikato River Act 2010 was an iwi settlement designed to address these failings, which in turn will support the health of the Waikato River and Taupō Moana.
The JMA sets out a process to give effect to this legislation.
Through the JMA, iwi / hapū and council will have a stronger relationship, and clarity over how they should engage with each other in relation to the Upper Waikato River and Taupō Moana.

Guarantees that Ngāti Tūwharetoa has meaningful influence in decision-making
Ensures our perspectives are included in matters affecting our rohe.

The artwork, including Ngā Mata o te Marama o Tūwharetoa, the Celestial Waka, Kāhui Maunga pou, and the Totara Pou, celebrate the cultural heritage of Tūwharetoa, ancestral wisdom of Ngatoroirangi, and our connection to whenua and te taiao.

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Draft Joint Management Agreement