Government rips up another promise of partnership with Māori
Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says the Government’s reported decision to scrap existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements is not planning reform it’s another deliberate step in dismantling the Crown’s relationship with tangata whenua.
“This Government isn’t just rewriting planning law. It is rewriting the place of Māori in Aotearoa.”
“One law at a time, one institution at a time, one agreement at a time, they are removing the practical ways Te Tiriti is honoured.”
Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements were established to provide a statutory framework for councils and iwi to work together on decisions affecting whenua and wai. They create clear processes for engagement, planning and dispute resolution. They do not transfer decision-making authority to iwi.
“So why abolish them?”
“If the Government has evidence these agreements have failed, it should release it. If it doesn’t, New Zealanders deserve to know why another Treaty-based mechanism is being dismantled.”
Ngarewa-Packer said the decision follows a growing pattern of removing Māori from decision-making across health, the environment and wider public policy.
“This isn’t about efficiency. It’s about ideology.”
“You don’t build stronger communities by shutting tangata whenua out. You build stronger communities by working together.”
She said the consequences would be felt well beyond local government.
“When governments remove trusted pathways for partnership, they don’t remove disagreement they create more of it. Good planning depends on good relationships, and this Government is choosing to weaken those relationships.”
Te Tiriti is not an inconvenience to be legislated away. It is the foundation of this country.
Te Pāti Māori will continue to defend the rights and responsibilities of tangata whenua to protect our whenua, our wai and the generations yet to come.
