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Thank you for your feedback and ideas – we’re appreciating hearing from our community at our engagement events and via our survey.
Here are some answers to your frequently asked questions:
Question
Answer
How much are the proposed initiatives expected to cost?
At this stage in the process, there are no additional or specific costs to the council for the three initiatives that have been proposed. If any requests for funding arise in the future those requests will go through the usual Council budgeting processes including the Long-Term Plan and Annual Plan. These processes involve public engagement before final decisions are made.
Who pays? And what are the specific financial commitments of each party?
For the relationship agreement, Te Tomokanga ki Te Matapihi, any direct costs to ratepayers are expected to be very small. The agreement emphasises open communications and transparency.
The Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiation Trust (WLSNT) is providing a $500,000 setup fund for the reserves board – Ngā Tūtei a Maru Statutory Board. There will be no initial changes to the council’s costs for reserve management. The council will continue to maintain the reserves as it does now, ensuring the cost to ratepayers remains minimal.
Reserve management planning will flow into the council’s long term and annual budgeting processes, as it currently does. The cost of any appointees to the board will be worked on later after the negotiations process is complete and the board is established. It has been confirmed that board fees will not be significant.
The costs for the establishment of Toitū te Whānau are still being determined as WLSNT is still in the early stages of developing and shaping this concept in partnership with Crown agencies. Much like the Statutory Reserves Board, in the immediate future, Crown agencies working with this initiative will bring their own resourcing and cover their own costs.
What are the impacts on ratepayers and how will the upkeep of reserves be funded?
As reserves are shared public spaces for everyone, their maintenance will continue to be funded through rates, benefiting the whole community now and in the future. The costs are planned upfront through the normal annual plan and long-term plan processes, which include public consultation.
Changing the status of the administrator from the council to a joint statutory board for reserve management will not result in any change or additional impact on ratepayers.
What is the status of the reserves land?
The Crown (government) retains ownership of the reserves and the post settlement governance entity, Takapau Whāriki, retains ownership of Pākaitore Moutoa Gardens. Ownership of Pākaitore Moutoa Gardens will be transferred from Crown ownership to Takapau Whāriki through the Treaty settlement.
How will management of reserves change?
The only proposed change is that their administration under the Reserves Act will move from the council to a joint statutory board. This is a decision of the Crown through the Treaty settlement process, not the council.
What is the difference between governance and administration?
The administrator oversees the governance and wellbeing of the land but does not own the reserves. Normally, the council wouldn’t be involved in the ongoing governance or management of Crown-owned land transferred to Iwi. However, the proposed relationship agreement gives the council a unique opportunity to remain involved, reflecting the commitment of Whanganui Hapū and Iwi to preserving public access to these lands.
Why does the relationship agreement include more than the four reserves being proposed?
The land at Kokohuia (the former Balgownie Landfill), is different as this is council-owned. With both the council and Iwi focused on the aftercare and remediation of the landfill to protect the environment and the community from potential contaminants, working together on this will be beneficial for everyone.
Through the Treaty settlement process, ownership of the Pākaitore Moutoa Gardens Historic Reserve will be transferred from Crown ownership to the Whanganui Land Settlement post-settlement governance entity, Takapau Whāriki. This reserve will be administered by the joint board.
Who owns the buildings on the reserves that will be administered by the joint board?
The council (and/or community groups) will continue to own and maintain the buildings at Pukenamu Queens Park and at the Gonville/Tāwhero Domain.
Why have a relationship agreement?
The relationship agreement between the Hapū/Iwi of Whanganui Land Settlement and the council is designed to build a respectful and collaborative partnership with open communication and shared goals to benefit the community. It is about working together, not about control.
Why wasn't the proposed relationship agreement with the council made available to the public straight away?
The idea for this agreement has been public since negotiations began, and it was first outlined in an Agreement in Principle between Whanganui Land Settlement and the Crown, signed on 30 August 2019. A summary was shared with the community when community engagement started in December 2024, and after talks wrapped up earlier than expected, a full draft of the agreement was released on 29 January 2025.
What are the implications of it being legally binding?
Legally binding documents aren’t unusual — they’re similar to other agreements the council makes with contractors and suppliers, which also have consequences if terms are breached.
This agreement doesn’t require the council to do anything beyond what it's already responsible for by law (for example under the Local Government Act or the Reserves Act). Mostly, it encourages both parties to explore issues together without locking in specific outcomes.
What do you mean by involving Hapū/Iwi in council decision-making processes, and how will this impact the wider community?
Involving Hapū/iwi in council decision-making isn’t new – since 2002, the Local Government Act has required all councils in New Zealand to include Māori, including Hapū and Iwi, in their decision-making processes. Similarly, the Resource Management Act (RMA) also requires councils to involve Iwi authorities in decisions related to the RMA.
There’s concern that the council plans to transfer the land around the Landguard Bluff to Hapū. How will this affect the airport and its operations?
The land in question doesn’t include the airport land, so there will be no impact on the airport. This isn’t a new idea – the intention to return these lands has been in place since Michael Laws was Mayor, when the council first made it clear and publicly reported the plan. For example, a 2009 NZ Herald article talks about returning land in the Landguard Bluff area – Council, iwi join forces to bail out port.
It’s also important to note that specific arrangements for returning any land around the airport haven’t been agreed on yet. Any agreement would still need approval from both the council and Hapū.
Could the council transfer land ownership to iwi without community consultation?
The relationship agreement doesn’t override the council’s obligations to consult with the community on important matters, including selling land and property assets. If the council decides to sell land, the agreement requires the council to give Iwi the option to buy it first, before it’s put on the open market. This doesn’t prevent the council from getting market value for the land, so the ratepayer won’t lose out.
As an added benefit, Iwi have the opportunity to reconnect with land that was historically theirs, and the land will remain in local ownership. Additionally, selling directly to Iwi can save costs by avoiding the need for real estate agents and advertising fees.
Will the council need permission from Iwi to sell land until a strategy is agreed upon?
As mentioned, the relationship agreement doesn’t require the council to do anything new. The Local Government Act already requires the council to engage with Māori, Iwi, Hapū, and the wider community when making decisions, including decisions about selling land.
Why did you engage over the holiday period and why were the timeframes so tight?
This is a Treaty settlement negotiation and as part of this process, timelines and decisions are guided by the Crown and the Whanganui Land Settlement Negotiations Trust’s timeline. The council’s role is to support and facilitate engagement on the decisions council has to make, but the overall timeline and key decisions are outside of our control.
The council has been advised the Treaty settlement negotiations are nearing their conclusion. We understand a deed of settlement is likely to be initialled in early March. That means the council needs to make decisions on 13 February 2025 ahead of the settlement process being finalised.
Why is the council getting involved when this is not its core business?
The opportunities Whanganui Land Settlement Iwi and Hapū have integrated into their settlement bring benefits to our community as a whole. It's clear that a one-size-fits-all approach from central government is not working. By partnering with Whanganui Land Settlement, we are leading a shift towards local solutions for local issues, which is a positive and necessary step.
As community leaders, we have a deeper understanding of our people’s needs, challenges, and strengths, enabling us to create tailored, effective solutions that central government cannot. Together, we can develop approaches that truly reflect the unique needs of our community.
What are the name changes to some of the reserves proposed to come under the statutory board?
The changes – set out below – involve correcting spelling by adding macrons. These changes will happen as part of the Treaty settlement process.