Heads of Agreement between the Crown and Rangitaane o Manawatu

Heads of Agreement - Rangitaane o Manawatu

The Rangitaane o Manawatu Heads of Agreement is made up of a package which includes;

  1. An apology from the Crown,
  2. Cultural redress,
  3. Commercial redress.

No private land is involved in the redress, only Crown assets.

The benefits of the settlement will be available to all members of the iwi wherever they may live.


Crown Apology

The Crown will apologise to Rangitaane o Manawatu for past dealings which breached the Crown's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi relating to two key land purchases by the Crown which, along with subsequent alienations through the Native Land Court, left Rangitaane o Manawatu largely without land in spite of the iwi's desire to retain land.


Cultural Redress

  1. Restoration of Rangitaane o Manawatu access to traditional foods and food gathering areas, including;

1(a). Customary Fisheries

Rangitaane o Manawatu will be appointed an Advisory Committee to the Minister of Food, Fibre Biosecurity and Border Control and the Minister of Conservation. The Committee will provide advice on the management of fisheries in the Rangitaane o Manawatu rohe, including the customary interest of Rangitaane o Manawatu in those fisheries.

In addition, there will be provisions acknowledging the significance of the tuna (eel) fishery to Rangitaane o Manawatu and their interest in enhancing the tuna fishery in their area of interest.

1(b). Camping licences or Nohoanga.

These are areas of up to one hectare near a waterway which give access to traditional sources of food. Rangitaane o Manawatu members will have the right to use these entitlements for non-commercial, lawful fishing and food gathering for up to 210 days a year. The licences do not affect existing public access to waterways.

Two licences are being offered, one in the Takapari Conservation Area and the other in the Tangimoana Beach Conservation Area.

  • Recognition of Rangitaane o Manawatu's traditional, historical, cultural and spiritual association with places and sites owned by the Crown within their rohe. This allows the Crown and iwi to protect and enhance the conservation values associated with these areas and sites and includes;

    • 2(a). Statutory Acknowledgements

    These register the special association Rangitaane o Manawatu has with an area and will be included in the settlement legislation. They are recognised under the Resource Management Act and the Historic Places Act.

    There are to be fifteen such acknowledgements; Makererua Swamp Wildlife Management Reserve, Pukepuke Lagoon Conservation Area, Himatangi Bush Scientific Reserve, Moutoa Conservation Area, Round Bush Scenic Reserve, those parts of the Ruahine Forest Park and Tararua Forest Park within the Rangitaane o Manawatu area of interest, those parts of the Manawatu, Rangitikei, Oroua and Pohangina Rivers that are within the Rangitaane o Manawatu area of interest, the land on which Linton Army Camp and the Manawatu Prison are located, the Totara Scenic Reserve and those parts of the coastal area within the Rangitaane o Manawatu area of interest.

    2(b). Deeds of Recognition

    Obliges the Crown to consult Rangitaane o Manawatu and have regard for its views regarding Rangitaane o Manawatu's special association with a site and specifies the nature of Rangitaane o Manawatu's input into management of those areas by the Department of Conservation and/or the Commissioner of Crown Lands.

    There will be seven deeds, covering the Makererua Swamp Wildlife Management Reserve, Pukepuke Lagoon Conservation Area, Himatangi Bush Scientific Reserve, Moutoa Conservation Area, Round Bush Scenic Reserve, and those parts of the Ruahine Forest Park and Tararua Forest Park within Rangitaane o Manawatu's area of interest.

    2(c). Protocols with Other Government Departments and Third Parties

    The Heads of Agreement also provides for the establishment of protocols to develop a good working relationship between Rangitaane o Manawatu and the Ministry of Fisheries, the Department of Conservation and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage on cultural matters of importance to Rangitaane o Manawatu. There will also be site protocols issued concerning the land on which Linton Army Camp and Manawatu Prison are sited.

    The protocols with Government departments will be developed in detail between the signing of the Heads of Agreement and the final Deed of Settlement.

    The Crown has also agreed to encourage the development of memoranda of understanding between Rangitaane o Manawatu and the Palmerston North City Council, the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council, Massey University and the Taranaki/Wanganui Conservation Board.

    Rangitaane o Manawatu will also be able to express their views to the Ministry for the Environment on the application of the Treaty and relevant parts of the Resource Management Act in Rangitaane o Manawatu's rohe. The Ministry will also monitor the performance of Local Bodies in Rangitaane o Manawatu's rohe in relation to these matters.

    2(d). Place names

    The spelling of the Makererua Swamp Conservation Area will be changed to Makurerua Swamp Conservation Area, and the Round Bush Scenic Reserve will also be known as the Omarupapukau/Round Bush Scenic Reserve.

    Rangitaane o Manawatu will also be notified by the New Zealand Geographic Board about future name proposals in their rohe.

    2(e). Sites Transferred to Rangitaane o Manawatu

    One area of significance to Rangitaane o Manawatu will be returned to the iwi. This is the Awapuni Conservation Area of 3.4 hectares, in the vicinity of the Awapuni Marae, known as Kikiwhenua, which was destroyed by fire in the 1920s.