Ngāti Rangi’s plan to hold Crown agencies to settlement commitments

Ngāti Rangi's Nga Waihua o Paerangi Trust pou ārahi/chief executive Helen Leahy (left) and Tomairangi Mareikura, chairwoman of the iwi's post-settlement governance entity Te Tōtarahoe o Paerangi. Photo / Moana Ellis

Ruapehu iwi Ngāti Rangi has launched a new framework with 11 government agencies to advance relationships promised under its Treaty settlement with the Crown.

The terms of reference for the initiative, known as Te Kōpae, were signed at Tirorangi Marae in Karioi last week, marking exactly eight years since Ngāti Rangi and the Crown signed the deed of settlement Rukutia Te Mana on March 10, 2018.

Helen Leahy, pou ārahi/chief executive of the iwi trust Nga Waihua o Paerangi, said the collaboration would spearhead the restoration of a cultural, environmental, economic and social base.

“Te Kōpae literally is a nest of connection. It’s bringing together all of the Crown agencies that signed up to relationships through Rukutia Te Mana to work collectively with the iwi … to meet the aspirations of our uri and our wider community.”

Leahy said an Auditor-General’s report last year revealed that every government agency audited had difficulty delivering on settlement commitments.

“It’s not a relationship that comes easily and what we’ve found is that when you separate government departments into individual sector silos, it’s very difficult.”

The aim of Te Kōpae was to create accountability across agencies while strengthening the relationship promised in the settlement.

“We want to get accountability from each individual agency.

“Let’s not wait for another eight years before we start the work that was committed to in 2018.”

Leahy said the settlement included a Crown apology acknowledging it had failed to honour the partnership with iwi under Te Tiriti o Waitangi “with the respect and integrity the iwi deserved”.

“That apology set a new pathway for what we are signing today.”

The agencies are Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development), Ministry of Justice, Department of Corrections, Ministry of Education, Oranga Tamariki, New Zealand Police, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Ministry of Social Development, Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People and Regional Public Service Commissioners.

The Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand are interested in joining the initiative, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has committed to participating under the upcoming Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport.

Regional Public Service Commissioner for Manawatū-Whanganui Darlene Rastrick said the agreement signalled a commitment from government agencies to work together with Ngāti Rangi rather than in isolation.

“We’ve got agencies that are signed up today … to work collaboratively and think about common interests and how can we work collectively and better to improve outcomes for the people of Ngāti Rangi.

“My role as regional public service commissioner is to convene across agencies … to make sure they are meeting the needs of iwi, that they are at the table, that they’re doing everything they need to do.”

Leahy said the initiative came as Ruapehu communities faced mounting pressures, including job losses from the closure of the WPI mills, challenges facing the ski industry and reductions in government services.

She pointed to the 2022 closure of the Ohakune District Court, the cancellation of a proposed 44-home Kāinga Ora housing development in 2024 and the ending of several government-supported programmes, including Jobs for Nature and Māori Trade Training.

Leahy also said funding for Ngā Tini Whetu intensive family support and the Manaaki Hauora community health partnership was set to end in June this year.

“The Auditor-General stressed that settlements are intended to create long-term relationships, not just one-off redress delivery.

“However, if the Crown, since settlement, cuts services, advises us that our population is too small or that they are locked into contracts with larger regional providers who purport to represent us, then we will find ourselves in a position with little hope.”

NZ Police assistant commissioner iwi, community and partnerships Timothy Anderson said the framework would help strengthen early intervention work aimed at keeping people out of the criminal justice system.

“I think something like this can only be positive in terms of the way that we engage with Ngāti Rangi, in partnership with the Crown.”

Anderson said Police were already involved in a number of programmes focused on prevention.

“It’s about engaging with people at an early stage to keep them out of trouble.”

Tomairangi Mareikura, chairwoman of Ngāti Rangi post-settlement governance entity Te Tōtarahoe o Paerangi, said the initiative was intended to generate momentum.

“Eight years ago, when we all signed up to what we thought was going to be an innovative and exciting mechanism, we really hoped for some action.”

Te Kōpae was designed to bring agencies together to create solutions that would benefit local communities, Mareikura said.

“We know our rohe is geographically somewhat isolated and we’re a small iwi but we have some really big challenges.

“The goal from today is … to move forward so that we can work together collectively with these agencies to really change lives on the ground.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.