Tūrangi Reserves Management Plan

Nomination statement

The Tūrangi Reserves Management Plan is a partnership plan between Ngāti Tūrangitukua Charitable Trust and Taupō District Council, developed to restore iwi ownership, identity, and values in the management of local reserves. Following land confiscations in the 1960s and the later return of reserves through Treaty settlement, the plan centres Ngāti Tūrangitukua perspectives, cultural heritage, and environmental stewardship into its reserves. A key feature of the plan is its genuine co-design approach, with both partners working collaboratively through planning, writing, and engagement with hapū, the wider community, and rangatahi. It is guided by core values such as manaakitanga, aroha, kaitiakitanga, and rangatiratanga, and sets a clear vision: that Tūrangi reserves reflect and uphold Ngāti Tūrangitukua values while being respected and enjoyed by all. There were challenges to work through. While there is a partnership agreement in place, we wanted to make sure the plan would be genuinely co-designed and partnered from the start. This is more time and resource-intensive and affected by external pressures such as political changes. Resources are limited. Environmental challenges such as managing degraded waterways, climate risks, and balancing competing land uses are constrained by limited funding and reliance on external partnerships. There is an ongoing challenge in maintaining meaningful engagement with hapū, community, and rangatahi, and ensuring long-term sustainability through continued collaboration and future leadership development with rangatahi. We hope that this plan will help guide that meaningful engagement and relationships.