Mt Taranaki to be ‘personality’

Crown and iwi sign groundbreaking agreement effectively letting mountain own itself in law

Mt Taranaki will be granted the special status of a legal personality, meaning the mountain will effectively own itself and have the same protections as a citizen.

The Crown and eight Taranaki iwi signed a Record of Understanding on Wednesday over Egmont National Park (Taranaki Maunga), which will see it become the joint responsibility of local Ma¯ori and the Government.

All Crown-owned land within the National Park will be vested in a legal personality, meaning the land will own itself — a special legal status that has previously been granted to Te Urewera and the Whanganui River.

The concept was considered groundbreaking and was used to neutralise the controversial issue of own- ership. Instead of human ownership over the environment, it embraces the Ma¯ori relationship with the land and recognises its cultural and spiritual significance.

“I grew up under the gaze of the maunga so I’m particularly pleased with the respect accorded to local tangata whenua and the legal protection and personality given to the mountain,” Treaty Settlements Minister Andrew Little said.

It follows a Waitangi Tribunal report from 1996 that said there was no valid basis for Mt Taranaki’s confiscation from Ma¯ori.

Under the Record of Understanding, the Mount Egmont Vesting Act will be repealed and a joint CrownIwi governance entity will be created to look after the interests of the maunga.

The record notes that the maunga, including the mountain, are an everpresent and personified ancestor that “transcend our perception of time, location, culture and spirit”.

The record is a stepping stone to a final Collective Redress Deed, which will include a historical account, Crown acknowledgements of Treaty breaches, and a Crown apology. No financial redress will be included.

The eight iwi involved in the negotiations are: Nga¯ruahine, Taranaki Iwi, Te Atiawa, Nga¯ti Mutunga, Nga¯ti Ruanui, Nga¯ Rauru Kiitahi, Nga¯ti Tama and Nga¯ti Maru.

The Crown also signed an Agreement in Principle with Nga¯ti Maru, which will pave the way for their Deed of Settlement and bring settlements for the Taranaki region to a final conclusion.

The agreement with Nga¯ti Maru includes redress of $30 million and outlines the shape of a future settlement, which will be negotiated in the coming months.