The government is chasing the polls, not the evidence.

Media Release

22 July, 2026

The government is chasing the polls, not the evidence, in replacing Whakahono ā Rohe agreements with Iwi Participation Agreements.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Tumu Whakahaere Haimona Maruera said the move might look good to a few political donors hoping to use the taiao in an unsustainable way for a vote, but in reality, it made little sense.

On Monday, the Government announced Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements already in place, along with those that had been initiated, will be scrapped.

Instead, councils and iwi would need to negotiate new, narrowly scoped participation agreements focused on statutory planning processes and Treaty settlement obligations.

“It's the same story over and over again with this government.

“The truth is simply that this government has an ideological and political commitment to silence Māori voices because we are the last line of defence against wholesale exploitation of te taiao.

“Does anybody seriously think that actively sabotaging constructive relationships between councils and tangata whenua is a good thing?

“Instead of celebrating the fact that councils and iwi across Aotearoa are working together to streamline local planning, this government has decided to deliberately undermine genuine local democracy.

“This is not reform, this is a government terrified by Māori success, terrified of iwi capability and terrified of councils and iwi getting things done without Wellington’s interference.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Pou Whakahaere Rachel Arnott said the proposed replacement of a ‘narrow scoped iwi participation agreement’ wrapped with legislative guardrails was a patronising downgrade.

“It strips away the holistic, proactive partnership model and replaces it with a restrictive box ticking exercise that forces iwi into a defensive and reactionary corner.

“These co-called narrow agreements and guardrails are nothing more than handcuffs for Māori.

 “However, we will continue to work alongside the councils in our Rohe regardless of the hostile, short-sighted roadblocks put in our way by this government.”