Rāhui Tapu and the Resource Management Act (RMA) 1991
A Rāhui tapu is a traditional Māori practice that places a temporary restriction or prohibition over an area or resource.
It’s used to protect people, taonga species, or sacred sites and to allow the environment time to heal.
Although rāhui comes from tikanga Māori, it is increasingly being recognised and supported within New Zealand’s environmental legislation, particularly under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
How the RMA Supports Rāhui Tapu
The RMA provides a legal framework that allows local councils hapu and iwi to give practical effect to rāhui through planning and environmental management tools.
Key sections include:
Section 6(e): Requires recognition and provision for the relationship of Māori and their culture and traditions with ancestral lands, water, sites, wāhi tapu, and other taonga.
Section 7(a): Requires particular regard to kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
Section 8: Requires decision-makers to take into account the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
These provisions mean a council can acknowledge a rāhui by, for example:
Including temporary restrictions in regional or district plans.
Supporting bylaws that protect culturally significant areas.
Recognising rāhui tapu as part of hapu and iwi management plans or joint management agreements.
Example – Northland Regional Council
The Northland Regional Council (NRC) has applied rāhui tapu principles through its Regional Plan, which includes no-take and restricted marine areas that reflect rāhui placed by mana whenua at sites such as Maunganui Bay (Rākaumangamanga) and Mimiwhangata.
These areas are protected under RMA-based rules that prohibit harvesting or high-impact activities to restore mauri and ecological health, while being enforced in partnership with local hapū.
Why It Matters
Recognising rāhui tapu under the RMA helps bridge traditional Māori environmental stewardship with modern law.
It ensures that tikanga, kaitiakitanga, and mana whenua authority are embedded in local decision-making and that communities can respond to environmental challenges using both customary and statutory tools.
