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Te Oneroa a Tōhē

Te Oneroa a Tōhē or Ninety Mile Beach is a taonga to Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi. It is of the utmost historical, cultural, spiritual and physical importance to the Iwi. Not only is it a vital resource for food gathering, and an important transport route, it contains Te Ara Wairua, a spiritual pathway between the living and the dead. All Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi have specific kaitiaki responsibilities associated with Te Oneroa a Tōhē.

Te Oneroa A Tōhē Beach Management Board (the Board) has been established to manage the beach area. This board will provide governance and direction in order to promote the use, development and protection of the beach management area and its resources in a manner which ensures the environmental, economic, social, spiritual and cultural wellbeing for present and future generations. The Board will be responsible for developing a Beach Management Plan. It will publicly notify the plan and seek submissions on it. The Plan will be recognised and provided for in the next revisions of the Regional Policy Statement, Regional Plan, District Plan, and other relevant planning instruments.

There will be no restrictions on public access for people using the beach, except as they currently apply. The board will consult with communities through the Beach Management Plan regarding any changes to beach access, such as changing access points to reducing environmental damage to the beach. The feedback from this consultation will influence the plan which the board will then implement. The Iwi members of the board will appoint up to half of the hearing panel for consent applications within the beach management area.

While the Board is responsible for the management of the beach, Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi continue to assert that they are customary owners of Te Oneroa-a-Tōhē. This redress will not affect the ability of Te Hiku of Te Ika Iwi to make applications for recognition of protected customary rights, or of customary marine title under the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011.

Board membership

Board membership is shared between Te Hiku o Te Ika Iwi members (50%), and Local Authority members (50%). The Board is a permanent joint committee between the Far North District Council, Northland Regional Council, Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa, Te Manawa o Ngāti Kuri Trust, Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri Trust and Te Rūnanga o NgāiTakoto. It is chaired by Iwi and decisions require a 70% majority.

Board appointment process and duration

In appointing members to the board, Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa Trustees must be satisfied that the person has the mana, skills, knowledge and experience to participate effectively on the Board, and to contribute to the achievement of the Board’s purpose. The Te Rarawa representative is appointed for a term of three years, unless the member resigns or is discharged by the appointer during that term. The representative may be reappointed or discharged by and at the sole discretion of the relevant appointer.

Current Board members

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Terms of reference