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Statutory and overlay areas

Settlement legislation commonly defines several cultural-redress mechanisms with mapped areas. The effect comes from the legislation/deed, not the polygon alone.

Statutory acknowledgement​

A statutory acknowledgement records Crown acknowledgement of a claimant group's association with a statutory area and creates specified procedural effects. Check the specific settlement Act because wording/purposes can differ.

Deed of recognition​

A deed of recognition can apply to specified Crown-managed areas and set out agreed consultation/interaction requirements according to that settlement.

Overlay classification​

Overlay classifications apply another set of settlement-specific recognition/protection mechanisms to defined areas, often involving conservation management.

GIS fields​

Keep:

settlement
redress_type
statutory_area_name
schedule_or_plan_ref
act_section
source_date

Do not call every layer statutory acknowledgement if the source says overlay area or redress property.

For current settlement legislation see NZ Legislation and the relevant Te Tari Whakatau settlement page.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026

Last updated on