What's at stake: The strength of Treaty settlements and iwi authority in national decision making.
Background: The Government advanced several major reforms in 2025 while Ngāi Tahu took cases on freshwater and conservation to the High Court.
Main players: Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, the Crown, iwi across the motu and global investors observing the Māori economy.
When Ngāi Tahu talk about their sacred maunga Aoraki, it is as a figure that stays steady while the weather turns around him. Watching Justin Tipa reflect on 2025, the comparison came to mind. The year closed in at times. Reforms moved at speed, pressure built and the atmosphere grew heavy, yet he
