About Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti

Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti is one of the longest lasting partnerships between tangata whenua and local government in Aotearoa New Zealand. The partners are the Kāpiti Coast District Council and the mana whenua (people with ‘authority over the land’) on the Kāpiti Coast.

This year, 2024, marks 30 years of partnership. 

Goal of Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti

To forge a relationship of mutual benefit between the Kāpiti Coast District Council and the tangata whenua that will develop into an effective and meaningful partnership.

While Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti has primarily been involved with issues to do with resource management, it has also worked, particularly in more recent years, to ensure that the Māori world view is better represented and understood in the broader community. From the beginning Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti has focused on harmonising different cultural attitudes to resources and solve local issues according to national legislation.

Background

Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti stems from two core principles of the Treaty of Waitangi as identified and defined by the Court of Appeal and the Waitangi Tribunal. The first principle, ‘partnership’, obliges both parties ‘to act reasonably, honourably and in good faith’. For that, consultation is vital. The second principle, ‘active protection’, requires the Crown to protect Māori in the use of their lands and waters to the fullest extent practicable.

Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti first met on 8 March 1994. As the Council’s Iwi Consultation Group, the three iwi of the ART Confederation used ‘Te Whakaminenga’, meaning ‘The Confederation’, to describe themselves, but the addition ‘o Kāpiti’ (of Kāpiti) was designed to include the Kāpiti Coast District Council.

In 1994, the group developed and signed a Memorandum of Partnership; this is the primary guide for the group’s general conduct and purpose. For its part Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti guides the Council relationship with iwi, although where appropriate the Council undertakes direct consultation with iwi.

Representation

Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai Charitable Trust, Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa Rangatira each have elected representatives, all with voting rights, for the current triennium. The Council is represented by the Mayor and a councillor. These representatives discuss matters of social, environmental, economic and cultural significance to tangata whenua.

Māori Economic Development Grant Fund

Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti oversees the Māori Economic Development Grant Fund which is managed on an annual basis. The fund is available for projects that align to the Māori Economic Development Strategy and aims to assist whānau, hapū, iwi, mātāwaka and Māori Business within the Kāpiti Coast District with costs associated with the ongoing development of Māori Economic Activity. 

You can read more about the fund on our funding page.