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How many iwi, hapū and post-settlement governance entities, if any, were consulted on Head Start proposals before the 9 August 2026 deadline, and what advice, if any, has he received on whether that engagement discharges the Crown's Treaty of Waitangi obligations?

Answered Question 35800 (2026)
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Asked by

Tangi Utikere

Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party

Question

  • How many iwi, hapū and post-settlement governance entities, if any, were consulted on Head Start proposals before the 9 August 2026 deadline, and what advice, if any, has he received on whether that engagement discharges the Crown's Treaty of Waitangi obligations?

Answered by

Hon Simon Watts

Member for North Shore · National Party · Minister of Local Government

Answer

It is the Crown’s obligation to ensure that any Treaty settlement obligations are maintained through local government reform. Councils that submitted a Head Start proposal would have made their own decisions about consultation requirements, including any consultation with iwi, hapū and post-settlement governance entities they felt appropriate.