Our Projects

Peria River Project - Te Mana o Te Wai

The Peria River, Waikainga, Te Awapuka Streams and numerous smaller streams all drain from the steep hill country of Maungataniwha, converge just downstream towards the Oruru River.  The Oruru River originates from the Otangaroa Forest and flows northwards for another seven to eight kilometres before reaching the tide, joining with the Paranui River and becoming the Taipā River.

An important historical feature of the Oruru Valley is our hapū awa - the Oruru River. The Oruru River was once a waterway used by our ancestors to travel and transport trade produce up and down the Oruru Valley. In the early 1800's the Oruru River was used to transport kauri trees from the Oruru Valley.  In those days there was significant scope for trading based on the the large population of the area and a vast source of produce available. People were coming and going on a regular basis.

The Oruru River is also the main water source within the Oruru Valley and hapū and whānau of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga. The flow of the Oruru River begins from Maungataniwha and moves eastward to 'te wahapū o Taipā' and further to Tokerau moana. It is the mauri of our whenua, the life essence for our tribe, fish, tun, trees, gardens, birds, animals and insects.

Wai 45 Muriwhenua Remedies Hearing

Historical Treaty of Waitangi 1840 (te Tiriti o Waitangi) Claims are made by Māori against the Crown for breaches of the Treaty before 1992. Historical settlements aim to resolve claims and provide some redress to claimant groups. When a settlement is reached, it becomes law. Large Natural Groups (LNGs) are known as claimant groups and can be made up of a single iwi, a group of iwi or a collection of hapū from the same geographical area.

The settlement provides three types of redress including a historical account of the Treaty breaches, a Crown acknowledgement and apology, cultural redress, commercial and financial redress. There are four stages in the Treaty settlement process including pre-negotiation, negotiation, legislation and implementation.

Nga Hapu o Ngati Kahu CIV-2017-485-268

The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana Act) 2011 recognises the mana tuku iho (inherited right or authority derived in accordance with tikanga) exercised in the marine and coastal area by iwi, hapū, and whānau as tangata whenua. The act provides for the exercise of customary interests in the common marine and coastal area (CMCA); and acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi 1840 (te Tiriti o Waitangi).

Ngā Hapū o Ngāti Kahu made an application to the High Court in April 2017 under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011. The takutai moana commences from the mean (average) high-tide mark, and ending 12 nautical miles out to sea. It includes the wet part of the beach, and the seabed up to 12 nautical miles out. It also includes the beds of rivers, going upstream from the river mouth for a distance that is five times the width of the river mouth but not one more than 1 kilometre upstream.

Oruru Valley Cultural Heritage Project

Worthy of protection the Oruru Valley is one of the most significant sites in New Zealand. In the 1800’s it is estimated that the population was approximately 8,000. There were 57 pā along the ridges of Ōruru Valley, and each had many associated pit and terrace sites of undefended settlement. Altogether this adds up to one of the most spectacular archaeological landscapes in the country.

The Trust is seeking to collaborate with the Far North District Council, Northland Regional Council, Department of Conservation and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to ensure such sites are protected in District and Regional Plans.

Project discussions were initiated by the late Reverend Pereniki Tauhara chairman of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board, the Far North District Council and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Tāonga regarding the protection of sites of significance in the Taipa/Ōruru Valley.  The objectives of the project are:

• to undertake oral interviews with whānau and hapū of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga to gather traditional histories of sites of significance to support the protection of Maori Cultural heritage in a Regional or District Plan.
• to create high-quality oral histories of the whānau and hapū of Te Paatu ki Kauhanga, which will be deposited in public archives or iwi repository where they will be available into the future subject to permissions from the interviewee.

The project is to identify sites and places of cultural, historical, spiritual, archaeological, customary and contemporary importance to Te Paatu ki Kauhanga. The key focus of interviews will be cultural sites of significance in the Ōruru Valley including waka and waka landing sites, 52 pa sites, lookout points, kāinga, burials, battle sites, artifact finds, rivers and tributaries, and mahinga kai.

Waka Kotahi Taipa Bridge & Mangamuka Gorge

The Taipā bridge project was a collaboration of key stakeholders including New Zealand Transport Agency, Northland Regional Council, Far North District Council and representatives of the Ngāti Kahu Hapu Working Groups of Matakairiri, Matarahurahu, Ngāti Tara, Ngāti Moroki/Ngai Takiora, Ngāti Urunga, Ngāti Tara, Ngāti Whata, Te Paatu ki Kauhanga and Te Paatu Teretere.

Located on the southern shore of Doubtless Bay at the mouth of Ika-tiri-tiri/Ika-tere-tere, Taipā was the first landing place of Kupe and will form part of Northland’s main tourist connection, the Twin Coast Discovery Route and play a critical role in the Northland economy.

The Mangamuka Gorge closure was the result of a storm event in August 2022. Damage to the gorge and a number of slips require State Highway 1 to be closed.  Marae cultural monitors  working in the Mangamuka Gorge includ Mangataiore and Te Paatu marae, and project cultural monitoring is led by a senior cultural monitor. 

Resource Management Act 1991

The purpose of the Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. This means managing the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural wellbeing and for their health and safety while sustaining the potential natural and physical resources (excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations.

Participation in the resource consenting process is enabled through the Resource Management Act 1991, Regional Plans and National Policy Statements. It is anticipated that all resource consents within Te Paatu ki Kauhanga customary area of interest will be received from Councils to ensure applicants undertake statutory obligations to protect cultural landscapes and sites of significance. 

The Resource Management Act 1991 is currently under review and will be replaced by three pieces of legislation including the:

• Natural and Built Environments Act.
• Strategic Planning Act.
• Climate Adaption Act.
  

Te Paatu ki Kauhanga RMA Planning Documents

The purpose of this planning document is to provide clear policies and protocols when engaging with consent applicants and Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board under the Resource Management Act 1991 and other relevant legislation or policy outlined in this document. The aim is to build relationships to undertake a collaborative approach between Councils, consent applicants and Te Paatu ki Kauhanga to protect cultural sites of significance, taonga tūturu and waahi tapu. This planning document has been developed to ensure:

• the protection of lands, waters and other taonga, natural and physical environment, kōiwi and artefacts.
  
• the cultural monitoring and the management of accidental discoveries.
• the appropriate cultural approach in engagement;
• the appropriate cultural approach in cultural monitoring; and
• that obligations are met under article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840, Resource Management Act 1991, Local Government Act 2002, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 and other relevant legislation.

Te Paatu ki Kauhanga Trust Board has developed a planning document to support engagement with consent applicants, developers, planners and Councils.