A group of MPs reviewing the government's changes to New Zealand's planning laws has recommended getting rid of agreements called Mana Whakahono a Rōhe. If that happens, every existing agreement between iwi (Māori tribes) and local councils across Aotearoa would be cancelled — including ones already signed and ones still being negotiated.

Mana Whakahono a Rōhe agreements are a way for iwi and councils to set out how they will work together on decisions about land, water, and the environment. Think of them as a formal contract that says: when your council is making plans that affect your whenua (land) and rohe (territory), here is how we will be involved.

The recommendation comes as the government's big rewrite of the Resource Management Act — the main law governing how we use land and protect the environment — enters its final stages in Parliament. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said last week the government was concerned about the growing number of agreements being signed (RNZ). A government press release published on 20 July confirms that under the new system, councils could enter into new "narrowly scoped" iwi participation agreements, which would record how iwi authorities take part in planning processes (Beehive).

Chris Bishop, the minister in charge of the RMA changes, said the legislation includes these new agreements as a replacement (RNZ). The government says the new agreements are narrower and more focused on planning than the ones they would replace.

The move has upset iwi leaders, especially in Northland. The Northland Regional Council has three Mana Whakahono a Rōhe agreements in place, including one signed with Ngāti Hine in 2024. Rowena Tana, chair of Ngāti Hine, has spoken out strongly against the reforms.

Pita Tipene, chair of the Northland Regional Council, said he found out about the recommended changes on a Monday — with no warning and no consultation. He called the reforms "despicable" and "cowardly" (RNZ).

The key difference between the old and new agreements comes down to scope. Mana Whakahono a Rōhe covered a broad range of engagement between iwi and councils. The new iwi participation agreements, by the government's own description, are "narrowly scoped" — they focus specifically on recording how iwi authorities participate in planning processes.

Luxon's stated reason — concern about the growing number of agreements — suggests the government thinks Mana Whakahono a Rōhe was spreading beyond what it originally intended. Bishop has pointed to the new agreements in the legislation, framing the change as a recalibration rather than a removal of iwi participation rights.

The deeper question is whether this narrowing is a reasonable adjustment or a step back from the participation rights iwi hold under the Treaty of Waitangi. For iwi like Ngāti Hine, which spent time and effort negotiating an agreement with their regional council as recently as 2024, having it cancelled by a change in the law is the heart of the grievance. Tipene's words — "despicable" and "cowardly" — reflect a view that the government is pulling apart arrangements that were made in good faith, without talking to the people and councils who signed them.

The Northland Regional Council holds three such agreements, making it one of the more active councils using the framework. That its chair learned about the recommendation from the select committee rather than through consultation says something about how quickly these changes are moving.

The reform is in its final stages, meaning the time left for iwi and councils to have a say on what replaces the old agreements is running short. Whether the new agreements will cover the same ground — the relationships and obligations that Mana Whakahono a Rōhe was designed to support — is the question that will play out as the legislation finishes its path through Parliament.

What is clear from the government's own statements is the direction of travel: from a broad mechanism for iwi-council engagement to a narrower one focused on planning. The political argument is whether that is a reasonable recalibration or a rollback of Treaty-based participation rights. Tipene's response leaves no doubt where at least some iwi and council leaders sit on that question.