The purpose of this plan is to highlight Ngāti Tama aspirations for managing ancestral whenua, awa, wāhi tapu and wāhi taonga in the Ngāti Tama rohe (from Whangamoa in the east to Kahurangi in the west). The plan is a tool for Ngāti Tama to:

• express kaitiakitanga and uphold customary rights, obligations and responsibilities;

• describe Ngāti Tama values, interests and priorities for natural resource management;

• protect, maintain and enhance the mauri and wairua of natural resources and the relationship Ngāti Tama maintains with the natural environment; and

• ensure that the management of natural resources achieves meaningful cultural and environmental outcomes, and a positive net benefit to the environment.