The starting gun's been fired for Ngati Tuwharetoa to settlle its historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.
The tribe - based around Lake Taupo - has today signed an agreement in principal with the Crown.
Both parties will now work towards producing a deed of settlement.
The Government says it will balance the interests of everybody when decisions are made on what will be returned to the iwi.
It says claims relating to Ngati Tuwharetoa and Tongariro National Park are yet to be resolved and will be dealt with in a separate collective negotiation with other iwi and hapū.
