Taihape: Rangitīkei ki Rangipō
Claims and geographical area
The Waitangi Tribunal is currently inquiring into 46 claims as part of the Taihape: Rangitīkei ki Rangipō District inquiry (Wai 2180). About a dozen of these claims have been made on behalf of the iwi, hapū and whānau of Mōkai Pātea: Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Tamakōpiri, Ngāti Whitikaupeka, Ngāi Te Ohuake, Ngāti Paki and Ngāti Hinemanu.
The Tribunal has also received claims made on behalf of other iwi, hapū and whānau associated with the general area. These include: Ngāi Te Upokoiri and Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Waewae, Ngāti Pikiahu, Ngā Poutama, and Ngāti Hikairo, Te Wainui a Rua and Muaūpoko.
The inquiry district covers the area known as Inland Pātea, west of the Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges and south of the Kaimanawa mountains. It includes the towns of Hunterville, Taihape and Waiouru. The Rangitīkei River flows through the heart of the district.
See a map of the Taihape district inquiry [PDF, 695 KB]
Major issues
The following broad claim issues are set out in the Tribunal’s Statement of Issues for this inquiry.
View the Statement of Issues.(external link)
- Constitutional issues
- Nineteenth century land use, management and alienation
- Twentieth century land use, management and alienation
- Public works
- Environment
- Mātauranga Māori
Panel members
The Presiding Officer of the Taihape district inquiry is Justice Layne Harvey.
Find out more about Justice Harvey(external link)
The panel also includes:
- Professor Sir Pou Temara
- Dr Monty Soutar
- Dr Paul Hamer
- Dr Angela Ballara (until June 2021)
- the Honourable Sir Douglas Kidd (until May 2023)
Inquiry progress and reports
The Taihape inquiry completed hearings in October 2021 and is currently in the report-writing phase.
In January 2024, the Tribunal released He Whenua Karapotia, He Whenua Ngaro: Priority Report on Landlocked Māori Land in the Taihape Inquiry District in pre-publication format. This precedes the Tribunal's main report on the broader Taihape: Rangitīkei ki Rangipō district inquiry.
The Tribunal released its preliminary opinion on customary rights in the Kāweka and Gwavas Crown Forest Licensed (CFL) lands on 16 February 2024.
Read more about the procedural background to the opinion [PDF, 1.1 MB]
Find out about:
- Going to hearings
- Preparing evidence
- The research process
- What happens at hearings
- Search inquiry documents(external link)
Inquiry documents
The various documents, submissions and evidence filed in the inquiry are available online. The list of these is called the record of inquiry.
Search inquiry documents(external link)
Document requests:
For all document requests for this inquiry, email: WT_Requests@justice.govt.nz
Inquiry requests:
For all inquiry related requests, email: WT.Registrar@justice.govt.nz
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