Far North iwi Ngāti Wai says the local council is undermining their treaty rights with a proposal that could restrict how they can use their land.
Proposed changes to the District Plan would see up to forty per cent of land in the Far North reclassified as Significant Natural Areas, to protect the high number of native plants and animals there.
If approved, landowners will need a council consent to clear native scrub or subdivide their property.
The Significant Natural Areas cover over 280,000 hectares of the Far North District - and 40 percent of that is Māori land in either collective or private title.
Te Poari o Ngāti Wai chief executive Hūhana Lyndon told Meriana Johnsen how they use their land is up to them.
