Following in the footsteps of Te Urewera and Whanganui River, Egmont National Park is set to become a legal personality, jointly managed by iwi and the Crown.

The national park status will remain, but all of the Crown-owned land will be vested in a legal personality. The land will be managed by a new government body, with representation split between government and iwi appointments.

A spokesperson for Andrew Little, Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, said the Crown and Nga Iwi o Taranaki have agreed to consider amendments to the National Parks Act that will “enhance the partnership between Iwi and the Crown in relation to the mountain”.

“Similar to the settlements reached for Te Urewera and the Whanganui River, the mountain will own itself and be a legally recognised entity,” Little said.

The agreement was signed between the Crown and eight local iwi on December 20.

According to the Taranaki Iwi’s 2015 settlement, the Crown confiscated nearly 500,000 hectares from iwi in the region in 1865 during the Taranaki wars.

“The agreements are a major milestone in acknowledging the grievances and hurt from the past as the Taranaki iwi experienced some of the worst examples of Crown behaviour in the 19th Century,” Little said.