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CASE / 2017–ongoing

Te Awa Tupua framework, 2017–present

The statutory recognition and governance framework for Te Awa Tupua and its relationship with Whanganui iwi and hapū.

DETAILS

What are the case boundaries and records?

Check the scope, related ideas, and institutional evidence behind the overview.

Scope, selection, freshness, and background links
Boundary: The enacted statutory framework and Te Pou Tupua's account through the review date; not all Whanganui tikanga, Māori law, rights-of-nature initiatives, or observed ecological outcomes.
Why this case: The case tests whether environmentalist categories can be kept adjacent to, but distinct from, an iwi-grounded legal and governance relationship.
Evidence current through: 2026-09-06. Last reviewed: 2026-09-06. Freshness: review needed.
Te Awa Tupua enacted framework, 2017–present 2017–

The formal design and community-account provenance reviewed through 2026-09-06; implementation outcomes require separate evidence.

Formal design

observation

The Act recognizes Te Awa Tupua as an indivisible living whole from the mountains to the sea, incorporating physical and metaphysical elements.

observation

The Act sets out Tupua te Kawa as intrinsic values and requires relevant actors to recognize the relationship of Whanganui iwi and hapū with Te Awa Tupua.

observation

The Act establishes Te Pou Tupua as the human face of Te Awa Tupua and provides for two appointees acting as one office.

Rules in use

Interactions

Observed outcomes