The Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board has formally opposed the Regulatory Standards Bill through its parliamentary submission, joining iwi across Aotearoa in challenging legislation that threatens our rights and the integrity of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The submission outlines significant concerns about the Bill’s potential to undermine Ngāti Tūwharetoa’s rangatiratanga and weaken the Crown’s Treaty obligations. Of particular concern is the Bill’s complete exclusion of Te Tiriti from its ‘principles of responsible regulation’ in good lawmaking, despite its established role in Aotearoa New Zealand’s legal framework.
The Bill risks compromising Ngāti Tūwharetoa’s unique legal rights over Taupō Waters, established through the 1926 Māori Land Claims Adjustment Act and 1992/2007 Deeds with the Crown. These arrangements exist independently of Treaty settlements and represent decades of careful negotiation.
It also threatens to destabilise the governance framework established under the Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Raukawa, and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Act 2010, creating uncertainty for river management agreements.
The Trust Board has criticised the Bill’s development without meaningful consultation with iwi, continuing a pattern of inadequate Crown engagement on matters directly affecting Māori rights and taonga.
“The regulatory principles were developed without proper iwi or public consultation,” the submission states. “The process by which the Bill has been developed raises serious concerns about the health of democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
With the submission period now closed, the Trust Board will continue monitoring the Bill’s progress and advocating for protecting the rights of Ngāti Tūwharetoa.
Read our full submission: Regulatory Standards Bill submission (PDF)