Iwi Oppose Lake Waikaremoana Reserve Transfers

A Crown decision to transfer six Department of Conservation reserves as part of a major treaty settlement for one iwi is facing strong opposition from other iwi and hapū with overlapping customary interests in the land.

The reserves in question are located around Lake Waikaremoana in Te Urewera and include Mangaone, Panekirikiri, Tutaemaro, Waihi South, Waikareiti, and Ruakituri Scenic Reserve.

Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana signed their deed of settlement with the Crown in February 2026. This represents the final step before the associated legislation is processed through Parliament.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the six reserves are scheduled to be transferred to the Te Urewera Board. This body is a legal entity responsible for the governance, management, and representation of Te Urewera, and is composed of representatives from both the Crown and Tūhoe.

Opposition from Overlapping Interests

The proposed transfer has drawn criticism from iwi and hapū who claim the deal will obliterate their own overlapping customary interests in those specific land reserves.

Pieri Munro, the chair of the Tātau Tātau Te Wairoa Trust (TToTW)—a post-settlement group representing iwi and hapū of the Te Wairoa region—stated that there is no justification for the Crown to transfer that land to another iwi.

Munro noted that the iwi and hapū of the Te Wairoa region have historically maintained and continued to use these six reserve blocks for hunting and mahinga kai, which refers to food and resource gathering.

Currently, the reserves are managed under a shared agreement that involves the Department of Conservation, Ngāti Ruapani, and Wairoa iwi and hapū.

If the settlement passes in its current state, then these six reserves will fall under the control and the management of Te Urewera, Te Uru Taumatua, to which our rohe, ngā iwi and hapū of te rohe o Te Wairoa have no seat at the board.

Pieri Munro, Chair of Tātau Tātau Te Wairoa Trust

Governance and Control

A central point of contention is the composition of the Te Urewera Board. According to Munro, the board is dominated by Ngāi Tūhoe, who hold a majority of the seats and a permanent chair position.

Opponents of the settlement argue that transferring the reserves to a board where the iwi and hapū of the Te Wairoa region have no representation effectively removes their influence and interest in the land.

The dispute highlights the complexities of Treaty settlements when multiple groups claim customary interests over the same geographic areas, particularly when the Crown designates a single entity for the transfer of land management.