About Tūpuna Maunga Authority

The Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Act 2014 vested ownership of 14 Auckland volcanic cones (maunga) to a collective of 13 iwi / hapu on the basis that they are held in trust for the common benefit of the iwi / hapū of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and the other people of Auckland.

“The other people of Auckland” includes Māori who were not part of that Treaty settlement, as well as people from other ethnic groups.

The Tūpuna Maunga Authority was appointed as the administering body for the majority of the maunga for the purposes of the Reserves Act 1977. The Authority has its own decision-making powers and functions. Auckland Council is responsible for the routine management of the maunga under the Authority’s direction.

The Authority has six representatives appointed by Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau and six appointed by council. There is also a non-voting Crown representative appointed by the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage.

Its bespoke co-governance structure was designed to express the spirit of partnership between Ngā Mana Whenua and Auckland Council (i.e. who represent ‘the other people of Auckland’).

Co-governance also recognises the important relationship Ngā Mana Whenua have with the maunga, and also their importance to, and connection with, all the peoples of Auckland.

Note that most of the Council representatives are of non-Maori ethnicity. This is important because, in questioning the Authority’s actions , we are questioning the (mostly non Maori) Auckland Council members as much as anyone.

After all, their job in the Authority’s co-governance structure is to represent “the other people of Auckland”. It is a shame our elected Council representatives sitting on the Authority appear to have forgotten that part of their mandate. To date they have refused to engage with Honour The Maunga, despite the tree felling issue clearly being of importance to a large number of Aucklanders.

The Authority’s Council members also appear to have forgotten that they are also there to represent the interests of the ratepayers who elected them into office in the first place.