Dear Office of Treaty Settlements and Takutai Moana—Te Tari Whakatau,

Official Information Act Request

I request all official information held by Te Tari Whakatau relating to the decision-making, assessment, administration and treatment of WAI 1896 from 1 January 2008 to the present.

Without limiting the scope of this request, I specifically request the following:

1. Decision-making regarding Large Natural Groupings

Please provide all documents, advice, memoranda, reports, briefings, file notes, emails, meeting notes, recommendations and decisions relating to:

* whether WAI 1896 was assessed as falling within, or outside of, the Crown’s preferred Large Natural Grouping settlement approach;
* whether WAI 1896 was ever considered as an exception to that preferred approach;
* any criteria applied when considering whether WAI 1896 should proceed separately or within a Large Natural Grouping;
* the identity of every person involved in making or recommending those decisions;
* any formal or informal decision that WAI 1896 should proceed only through Large Natural Groupings.

2. Assessment of WAI 1896 interests

Please provide all documents assessing, analysing or discussing the historical, geographical or whakapapa interests asserted through WAI 1896, including but not limited to:

* Takapuna
* Devonport
* North Shore
* Mahurangi
* Whakatiwai
* Waiheke (Pūtiki)
* Auckland
* Waitematā
* Hobsonville
* Riverhead
* Kaipara
* Hauraki

This request includes all overlap assessments, internal analyses, maps, briefing papers, historical reports and file notes.

3. Settlement overlap assessments

Please provide every document assessing whether WAI 1896 interests overlapped with, affected, or were affected by the following settlements or negotiations:

* Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei
* Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara
* Ngāti Pāoa
* Te Roroa
* Ngāti Manuhiri
* Te Kawerau ā Maki
* Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki
* Te Ākitai Waiohua
* Ngāti Tamaoho
* Tāmaki Makaurau Collective
* Marutūāhu Collective
* Pare Hauraki Collective

This includes all correspondence, overlap reports, internal advice, memoranda, legal advice (where not privileged), briefing papers and meeting notes.

4. Patuone assessment

Please provide every document created before 11 March 2026 that identifies or analyses:

* Patuone’s whakapapa;
* Patuone’s tribal affiliations;
* Patuone’s marriages;
* Patuone’s political relationships;
* Patuone’s residence at Takapuna;
* Patuone’s residence at Whakatiwai;
* Patuone’s residence at Pūtiki;
* Patuone’s Mahurangi interests;
* Patuone’s Te Roroa connections;
* Patuone’s Ngāti Pāoa connections.

If no such documents exist prior to 11 March 2026, please expressly confirm that fact.

5. Internal consideration of WAI 1896

Please provide all:

* emails;
* Microsoft Teams messages (or equivalent);
* meeting notes;
* handwritten notes;
* diary notes;
* file notes;
* ministerial briefings;
* aide memoires;
* issue papers;
* draft advice;
* legal advice (where not privileged);

that discuss:

* WAI 1896;
* descendants of Patuone;
* descendants of Hapi Waka;
* descendants of Hohaia Patuone;
* Ngāti Hao;
* settlement pathway for WAI 1896;
* whether WAI 1896 presents difficulties within the Large Natural Grouping model.

6. Procedural framework

Please provide all documents explaining:

* how existing whānau claims lodged before development of the Large Natural Grouping policy were intended to transition into that policy;
* whether any exceptions to the Crown’s preferred Large Natural Grouping approach have been considered since 2008;
* the policy governing exceptions to the Crown’s preference for settlement through Large Natural Groupings;
* the decision-making framework applied where a claim spans multiple rohe or multiple settlement areas.

If no such policy, framework or guidance exists, please expressly confirm that no such documents are held.

If any information is withheld, please identify:

* the specific document;
* the statutory ground relied upon;
* whether a redacted version can be released; and
* whether the information exists but is withheld, or whether no information is held.

If no document exists responsive to any part of this request, please expressly state that no such document is held.

Yours faithfully,

Mark