Rūnanga Structure

Objective overview and process

Te Rūnanga o Waihao Incorporated is an Incorporated Society registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022.  The Runanga structure that we see today was established around the time of the Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Act 1996 and the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. There were a number of purposes for the Rūnanga structure, these include;

  • to be the representative of manawhenua in the Waihao takiwā;
  • to be an entity for Waihao whānau to join together and pursue our common aspirations;
  • to give the Rūnanga “legal personality” to enable the Rūnanga to do things such as own land, employ people, enter contracts and other arrangements;
  • to provide a vehicle to receive settlement funds.While all these remain a function of our Rūnanga structure, the structure has also allowed for greater participation and engagement of Whānau allowing them to develop their own strategic direction.