Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme Re-consenting
with Ngāti Hangarau & Ngamanawa Inc | BAY OF PLENTY
The why!
Manawa Energy (now Contact Energy) needed to renew the resource consents for its medium-scale hydro scheme on the flanks of the Kaimai Ranges behind Tauranga. Initially progressed through the standard RMA consenting route, the project was later transferred into the Fast-track process.
From the outset, iwi and hapū interests were central to the renewal programme. Ngāti Hangarau and Ngamanawa Incorporation were significantly affected as the scheme sits on their ancestral lands and had long impacted their cultural values. As the scheme grew over time, those rights and interests had been increasingly marginalised by successive scheme owners.
How did we assist?
The Catalyst Group was retained by Ngāti Hangarau and Ngamanawa Incorporation to provide technical and strategic support throughout the re-consenting programme. Working directly alongside both governance teams, we assisted with all project documentation, preparation of effects tables and articulation of abundance outcomes, and cultural impact assessment support. We developed a negotiating framework, advanced a set of outcomes for iwi consideration, and supported engagement with the broader hapū membership.
We also worked closely with Manawa Energy to understand their objectives and find ways to dovetail the interests of both parties. That work concluded in early 2026 with a settlement agreement — meaning Ngāti Hangarau and Ngamanawa Incorporation did not need to navigate the Fast-track process, and could refocus their energy on their taiao responsibilities.
The agreement secured critical pathways for hapū to reconnect with their whenua, wai, and taiao in a way that better reflects their aspirations for abundance and kaitiaki obligations and further enhances opportunities to exercise reciprocity.
What happened?
The Fast-track process continues for other parties who did not settle and whose views must be considered before the panel makes its decision.
The outcomes we were involved in achieving were a genuine success for all parties. Huge credit to Ngāti Hangarau, Ngamanawa Incorporation, and Manawa Energy for the diligent, open way they engaged with each other. It was a privilege to be part of this project — and we hope it stands as a model for how to approach these matters into the future.